tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post5742316022010822219..comments2024-03-17T18:37:36.377-07:00Comments on Geotripper: A Whatsit for a Wednesday: The Other California Goes UndergroundGarry Hayeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00531226195147986457noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-59298535128182456172010-10-21T08:00:31.538-07:002010-10-21T08:00:31.538-07:00Nah. The albino tarantulas are frozen in tree roo...Nah. The albino tarantulas are frozen in tree roots. The roots are making/following the cracks crust above, in preparation to dumping the tarantulas onto the heads of unwary cavers. ParclairAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-69679019583364417102010-10-20T14:36:25.458-07:002010-10-20T14:36:25.458-07:00They look like helectites to me. But I like Sue...They look like helectites to me. But I like Sue's answer.Gaelynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05784162697113288888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-5423597048910807932010-10-20T11:38:33.105-07:002010-10-20T11:38:33.105-07:00That would be a colony of the albino blind tarantu...That would be a colony of the albino blind tarantula. Unlike their pigmented topside cousins, they are not blood-sucking hunters. Instead they subsist entirely on microorganisms found in bat guano. They prefer to congregate tightly together for warmth in cleaner areas of the cave and higher up on the walls, rather than immediately under the bats — for obvious reasons. <br /><br />Your photo shows their unique "freezing in place" behavior. Unlike cockroaches who scurry away in the light, albino blind tarantulas stand motionless until the light goes out. This behavior baffles scientists, as the creatures are indeed blind. The true identity of these animals was only discovered in the last century as their skin twinkles like crystals in artificial light. Thus, they were mis-identified for years as a geological formation, when in fact they are biological. This new classification is still under debate as many geologists are resisting letting go.<br /><br />PS: Thanks Garry, for letting me have a little fun on your otherwise serious scientific blog.Sue Campbellhttp://www.suecampbellwrites.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-34872661986517034072010-10-20T11:09:07.740-07:002010-10-20T11:09:07.740-07:00Helictites- I seem to remember the ones at Mammoth...Helictites- I seem to remember the ones at Mammoth cave are gypsum, but the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helictite" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia page</a> says most are calcite or aragonite.Lockwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960762797349483760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-17467098228663193922010-10-20T10:49:47.772-07:002010-10-20T10:49:47.772-07:00Glow worms?Glow worms?Anne Jeffersonhttp://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonousnoreply@blogger.com