Thatchfield Great Cave
Encyclopedia
Thatchfield Great Cave is a large cave
in Saint Ann Parish near the north coast of Jamaica
. Because it is considered to be under threat its exact location is not widely publicised.
roosts on the island of Jamaica. The cave also contains considerable numbers of invertebrates, in particular beetles and spiders. Most of the life in this cave is supported by large amounts of bat guano
.
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in Saint Ann Parish near the north coast of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. Because it is considered to be under threat its exact location is not widely publicised.
Natural history
Thatchfield Great Cave is considered to be one of the largest batBat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
roosts on the island of Jamaica. The cave also contains considerable numbers of invertebrates, in particular beetles and spiders. Most of the life in this cave is supported by large amounts of bat guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
.
See also
- List of caves#Jamaica
- Jamaican Caves OrganisationJamaican Caves OrganisationThe Jamaican Caves Organisation is an all-volunteer caving organisation devoted to the preservation, exploration and documentation of caves in Jamaica...
- Saint Ann Parish, JamaicaSaint Ann Parish, JamaicaSaint Ann is the largest parish in Jamaica. It is situated on the north coast of the island, in the county of Middlesex, roughly halfway between the eastern and western ends of the island. It is often called 'the Garden Parish of Jamaica' on account of its natural beauty...
