ELLIOTT ET AL.: THE CAVE FAUNA OF CALIFORNIA 
71 
Table 12. Numbers of subter¬ 
ranean species and their ecologi¬ 
cal classification in California. 
Half (74) of the obligates are 
undescribed species. 
Ecological classification 
Species 
Phreatobite 
32 
Stygobite 
12 
Troglobite 
102 
Obligates Subtotal 
146 
Troglophile 
192 
Trogloxene 
86 
Stygophile 
8 
Accidental 
56 
Other terrestrial 
362 
Other groundwater 
22 
Unclassified 
494 
Total 
1,366 
Table 13. Sites with obligate subterranean species. At 
least 275 caves of all types (28% of sampled caves) con¬ 
tain obligates. Three caves contain phreatobites that nor¬ 
mally occur in groundwater sites, while 11 groundwater 
sites contain stygobites that typically occur in caves. 
Location Type 
Phreatobite 
Sites 
Stygobite 
Sites 
Troglobite 
Sites 
Totals 
Caves 
3 
23 
142 
168 
Groundwater 
56 
11 
67 
Lava Tubes 
112 
112 
Mines 
1 
6 
7 
Sea Caves 
2 
2 
Totals 
59 
35 
262 
356 
Table 14. Ranked regional numbers of obligate subterranean species. 
Region 
Phreatobites 
Stygobites 
Troglobites 
Totals 
Sierra Nevada North 
6 
3 
32 
41 
Sierra Nevada South 
2 
4 
25 
31 
Klamath Mountains 
1 
1 
16 
18 
Bay Area/Delta 
6 
3 
4 
13 
Coast Ranges 
13 
13 
Lava Flows North 
2 
9 
11 
California 
1 
5 
6 
Mojave Desert 
5 
5 
Northern California 
5 
5 
Sierra Nevada 
1 
1 
2 
San Joaquin Valley 
1 
1 
Totals 
32 
12 
102 
146 
