Aripo Cave (Aripo Main Cave) is a

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

in the

Northern Range The Northern Range is the range of tall hills across north Trinidad, the major island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The hills range from the Chaguaramas peninsula on the west coast to Toco in the east. The Northern Range covers approx ...

, in

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

. This is the longest accessible cave in Trinidad and Tobago, with 862 m length and 160 m depth. It is one of several caves created by recrystallised

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

. The cave is a notable

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

roost, and that bats contribute considerable amounts of

guano Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. G ...

, which in turn support vast numbers of cave-dwelling invertebrates. One of the caves more notable inhabitants are the

Oilbird The oilbird (''Steatornis caripensis''), locally known as the , is a bird species found in the northern areas of South America including the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the only species in the genus ''Steatornis'', the family Steatornith ...

s. These are the only

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

fruit-eating birds in the world. They forage at night, navigating by echolocation in the same way as the bats.

Flora

During the month of February the Aripo Forest becomes brightly decorated with the fiery orange blossom of the mountain immortelles ('' Erythrina poeppigiana''). These trees were originally planted to provide shade for the cocoa and it is believed when the immortelle bloom it signifies the start of the dry season.

References

External links

Oilbird Caves of Trinidad
Natural history of Trinidad and Tobago Caves of Trinidad and Tobago Caves of the Caribbean {{Trinidad-geo-stub