Tham Wat Khao Wong Khot - LB0001
15.018285,100.545219
Location
In Khao Sanam Chaeng, beyond a quarry about 1 km south of Ban Mi. Access is via 280 concrete steps to the right of the entrance to the temple.
Description
This is considered to be the largest cave in Lopburi. Millions of bats live in the cave from which the inhabitants depart, weather permitting, around 18:00 hrs in great numbers to seek food. It takes up to two hours to empty the cave. The temple derives income from the sale of the guano. At the time of Sarasin's visit there were so many bats and such an overpowering smell from the guano that no archaeological investigation was was carried out. There is a large quarry at the northern end of the hill.
Fauna
Ornithodorus hermsi Wheeler, Herms et Meyer, 1935 (Arthropoda, Arachnida, Ixodida, Argasidae) (Williams et al. 1976) Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse, 1894 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) (Tiawsirisup et al. 2012) Anopheles (Anopheles) barbirostris van der Wulp, 1884 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) (Tiawsirisup et al. 2012) Anopheles stephensi Liston, 1901 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) (Tiawsirisup et al. 2012) Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillet, 1898) (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) (Tiawsirisup et al. 2012) Culex gelidus Theobald, 1901 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) (Tiawsirisup et al. 2012) Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) (Tiawsirisup et al. 2012) Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles, 1901 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) (Tiawsirisup et al. 2012) Uranotaenia lateralis Ludlow, 1905 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) (Tiawsirisup et al. 2012) Stricticimex parvus Ueshima, 1968 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Hemiptera, Cimicidae) (Williams et al. 1976) Rousettus amplexicaudatus Geoffroy, 1810 (Chordata, Mammalia, Chiroptera, Pteropodidae) (Williams et al. 1976) Rousettus leschenaulti (Desmarest, 1820) (Chordata, Mammalia, Chiroptera, Pteropodidae) (Williams et al. 1976) Chaerephon plicata (Buchannan, 1800) (Chordata, Mammalia, Chiroptera, Molossidae) (Williams et al. 1976)
Documents
Bibliography 21/12/2019- +BOONKERD, KALYANEE; WANGHONGSA, SAWAI (2001) "Management of Bat Caves" Wildlife Research Division, Royal Forest Department, Bangkok Wildlife Yearbook Vol. 3 pp33-45 +DUNKLEY, JOHN ROBERT (1995) "The Caves of Thailand" Speleological Research Council, Sydney ISBN 0-9589253-9-9 +Kusch, Heinrich (1982a) "Ergebnisse spelaologischer forschungen in Thailand (Stand 1978)" Die Hohle Vol. 33 No. 2 pp59-69 +PANHA, SOMSAK; TONKERD, PIYOROS; SUTCHARIT, CHIRASAK; BURCH, JOHN B. (2004) "New Pupillid Species from Thailand (Pulmonata: Pupillidae)" The Natural History Journal of Chulalongkorn University Vol. 4 No. 2 pp57-82 +SARASIN, FRITZ (1933a) "Prehistorical Researches in Siam" Journal of the Siam Society Vol. 26 No. 2 pp171-202 reprinted (1959) Selected Articles from The Siam Society Journal Volume 3: Early History and Ayudhya Period pp101-132 +SARASIN, F. (1933) "Recherches Prehistoriques au Siam" L'Anthropologie Vol. 43 pp1-40 +Srilopan, Supawan; Bumrungsri, Sara; Jantarit, Sopark (2018) "The Wrinkle-Lipped Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon plicatus Buchannan, 1800) feeds mainly on brown planthoppers in rice fields of Central Thailand" Acta Chiropterologica Vol. 20 No. 1 pp207-219 +TIAWSIRISUP, SONTHAYA; JUNPEE, ALISA; NUCHPRAYOON, SURANG (2012) ôMosquito Distribution and Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection in a Bat Cave and its Surrounding Area in Lopburi Province, Central Thailandö Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine Vol. 42 No. 1 pp43-49 +VOGT, NILS B. (2013) "Temple Caves & Grottoes in Thailand: A Picture-Guide Book" Booksmango, Bangkok ISBN 978-616-222-160-6 214pp +YENBUTRA, SONGSAKDI; FELTON, H. (1986) "Bat Species and Their Distribution in Thailand According to the Collections in TISTR and SMF" in FELTON, H. (ED.) "Contributions to the Knowledge of the Bats of Thailand" Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt Vol. 87 pp9-45 +Weise, Philipp; Czirjßk, Gßbor A.; Lindecke, Oliver; Bumrungsri, Sara; Voigt, Christian C. (2017) "Simulated bacterial infection disrupts the circadian fluctuation of immune cells in wrinklelipped bats (Chaerephon plicatus)" PeerJ Vol. 5 e3570 DOI 10.7717/peerj.3570 pp18 +Williams, James E.; Imlarp, Somsak; Top, Franklin H. Jr.; Cavanaigh, Dan C.; Russell, Philip K. (1976) "Kaeng Khoi virus from naturally infected bedbugs (Cimicidae) and immature free-tailed bats" Bulletin of the World Health Organisation Vol. 53 pp365-369
History
2015-05-26 A. Thoma
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | Kradam (Tham) [LB0006] | ||
| 12.7 | Tham Ma Tok - LB0110 | ||
| 12.7 | Tham Ta Ko - LB0005 | ||
| 12.9 | Tham Ta Pha - LB0113 | ||
| 12.9 | Tham Ob - LB0112 | ||
| 13.1 | Tham Chedi - LB0114 | ||
| 13.4 | Tham Phrammani - LB0004 | ||
| 13.7 | Tham Chang Phuak - LB0024 | ||
| 15.4 | Tham Wit Mok - LB0115 |