KHWAJA, Siah Poshteh (Ghar)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

This -Cave of the [religious] Master- or -House of Winds- (note 1) lies at an elevation of 1150 m asl on a certain Kouh Siah Pochteh (note 2), a much karstified and honeycombed limestone hill situated near a village of the same name, which lies at an unspecified distance (LINDBERG (1958: 128; 1961a: 19) north of Nahr-e Saraj (Nahri Sarraj, ex- Gereshk, Girishk, note 3) on the road to Nawzad (note 4). CAVE DESCRIPTION: The cave appears to represent an old water-course between two smooth rock walls which are, on average, about 2 m apart from each other. The outer, un-roofed, and 11 m long part of this item leads to a wide, 2 or 3 m high cave entrance to a dark, about 20 m long gallery. The ceiling lowers towards the end and the passage diminishes till it ends impenetrable in collapse. The cave walls are polished by water. -Calcite concretions- (speleothems) are absent. The floor consists of stones and fine, yellowish coloured dust. There is very little bat guano. CAVE CLIMATE: A temperaure of 21.5°C in the air was measured inside (55% humidity) and 22°C at the entrance on 19th April 1958. CAVE LIFE: One single bat was seen on 19th April 1958 by LINDBERG (1958: 128, 1961a: 19) who recorded Blattida, Hemiptera, Coleoptera (Carabiquae), Neuroptera (larval Crocinae, ant lions), Pseudoscorpions, Arachnida (Araneidae), Acaria, and a lizard. JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1745, 1746, 1748) list: Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Olpiidae: Olpium intermedium Beier (troglophile?); Arachnida: Aranea: Nesticidae: Nesticus lindbergi Roewer; Arachnida: Acari parasiti: Argasidae: Argas confusus Hoogstraal; Insecta: Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Laptodes cavicola Kaszab; Vertebrata: Chiroptera: Rhinopomidae: Rhinopoma microphyllum Brünwich.This -Cave of the [religious] Master- or -House of Winds- (note 1) lies at an elevation of 1150 m asl on a certain Kouh Siah Pochteh (note 2), a much karstified and honeycombed limestone hill situated near a village of the same name, which lies at an unspecified distance (LINDBERG (1958: 128; 1961a: 19) north of Nahr-e Saraj (Nahri Sarraj, ex- Gereshk, Girishk, note 3) on the road to Nawzad (note 4). CAVE DESCRIPTION: The cave appears to represent an old water-course between two smooth rock walls which are, on average, about 2 m apart from each other. The outer, un-roofed, and 11 m long part of this item leads to a wide, 2 or 3 m high cave entrance to a dark, about 20 m long gallery. The ceiling lowers towards the end and the passage diminishes till it ends impenetrable in collapse. The cave walls are polished by water. -Calcite concretions- (speleothems) are absent. The floor consists of stones and fine, yellowish coloured dust. There is very little bat guano. CAVE CLIMATE: A temperaure of 21.5°C in the air was measured inside (55% humidity) and 22°C at the entrance on 19th April 1958. CAVE LIFE: One single bat was seen on 19th April 1958 by LINDBERG (1958: 128, 1961a: 19) who recorded Blattida, Hemiptera, Coleoptera (Carabiquae), Neuroptera (larval Crocinae, ant lions), Pseudoscorpions, Arachnida (Araneidae), Acaria, and a lizard. JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1745, 1746, 1748) list: Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Olpiidae: Olpium intermedium Beier (troglophile?); Arachnida: Aranea: Nesticidae: Nesticus lindbergi Roewer; Arachnida: Acari parasiti: Argasidae: Argas confusus Hoogstraal; Insecta: Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Laptodes cavicola Kaszab; Vertebrata: Chiroptera: Rhinopomidae: Rhinopoma microphyllum Brünwich.