Review of Biologically Significant Caves and their 

 Faunas in Florida and South Georgia 



Richard Franz 



Florida Museum of Natural History 



University of Florida 



Gainesville, Florida 32611 



Judy Bauer 



National Cave Diving Association 



P.O. Box 14492 



Gainesville, Florida 32604 



AND 



Tom Morris 



2629 NW 12th Avenue 

 Gainesville, Florida 32605 



ABSTRACT — At least 267 biologically significant caves have been 

 identified in Florida and south Georgia. Alachua, Jackson, Marion, 

 and Suwannee counties, Florida, contain over half of these 

 localities. The macroscopic troglobitic faunas in these caves 

 include 27 invertebrates and one vertebrate. The terrestrial component 

 consists of an insect and a spider; the rest are aquatic. One 

 branchiobdellid annelid and three entocytherid ostracod crusta- 

 ceans are obligate symbionts on troglobitic crayfishes and probably 

 should be considered troglobites. The rest of the region's re- 

 ported cave fauna is composed of 23 troglophiles, 47 trogloxenes, 

 and 37 accidentals. At least one bat {Myotis grisescens) is 

 regularly dependent on Florida caves for certain parts of its 

 life cycle, but leaves the cave environment to feed and mi- 

 grate. Two other cave-dependent bats {Myotis keeni and Myotis 

 sodalis) have been recorded only rarely from the region. Two 

 bats routinely use Florida caves, but also roost in other habi- 

 tats. The region's obligate cave species are grouped into six 

 cave faunas: Econfina Creek, Apalachicola, Woodville, Ocala, 

 St. Johns River, and Miami. Each fauna is restricted to a 

 particular karst region and is characterized by precinctive taxa. 

 The Ocala Fauna has the largest number of taxa (12) and 

 inhabits the largest geographic area, whereas the Econfina Creek 

 Fauna has the smallest number (2). The latter also is the only 

 fauna in the region that does not include at least one troglobitic 

 crayfish and amphipod. The two most complex faunas (Ocala 

 and St. Johns River) are subdivided into smaller assemblages. 

 Most Florida troglobitic taxa have been identified by the Florida 

 Committee on Rare and Endangered Plants and Animals as 



Brimleyana 20:1-109, June 1994 1 



