On this page I will add any new discoveries or new information.

In Sept 2009 I was looking for Gua Sanding on Gunung Gajah in Perak, and came across a cave new to me, which I have named Cable Cave. There was some interesting cave fauna, including something I have never seen before in a cave. It was only about 1cm long and above my head so taking a good photo was not easy.

Dr John Irish in Namibia identified it from a photo as a bristletail, of the order Archaeognatha (alternatively Microcoryphia). It is a herbivore specialising on mold and lichens.

Cockroaches
Cockroaches lay eggs. A mass of eggs are contained in the ootheca, which is an egg case or capsule, made of protein. Ootheca is derived from Greek words, oo - egg, theca - cover or container. The American cockroach produces the case 3-7 days after mating and it hardens as she carries the egg case protruding from the tip of her abdomen for another 2 days before it is deposited in a hidden location. Each egg case contains an average of 14 embryos. The immature cockroaches will emerge in 24 to 38 days. The juvenile cockroaches will go through 7 to 8 moults before they become mature. I have often seen empty cases in caves. The first photo, from Gomantong Cave, shows the lower cockroach in the process of laying an ootheca.

American cockroach, Periplaneta americana laying an ootheca

empty ootheca, Gunung Senyum

Birds on limestone hills
There are two types of thrushes often seen around cave entrances. One is the Blue Whistling Thrush, (Myophonus caeruleus crassirostris) (see also BWT) and the other is the Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius madoci).
At Kek Look Tong temple at Gunung Rapat near Ipoh, the Blue Rock Thrush (BRT) is commonly seen and has become quite tame. It is rather more speckled than the Blue Whistling Thrush (BWT).

Blue Whistling Thrush at Nam Thean Tong (G.Rapat)

BWT fledgling

© Liz Price 2009 - 2011 Page last updated 2o Sept 2011