CHARMGHAR KHANA, Pol-e Kheshti / Pul-i-Khesti (Cave at)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for an almost horizontal rift cave (note 1) which is on average 2 m wide, 2 m to 7 m or 8 m high and approximately 20 m long. The cave floor is covered with soil and stones. An air temperature of 22°C was measured on 28th October 1957 in the entrance, and 16°C at the far end. SITUATION: About 3 km north-west of the town of Belcheragh (note 2) and above the right bank of an unspecified stream (no name mentioned) at the roadside near a place which Lindberg called Pol- Tcherm Gari and either corresponds to the bridge-side village Pol-e Kheshti / Pul-i-Khesti or to the nearby village of Charmgar Khana on AIMS sheet PI41-04 and positioned as Charmgar Khaneh (note 3) near N35°51'38”: E65°11'54” (WGS84, nima.mil/geonames accessed 28.05.2004). CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1958: 122) recorded (to have collected?) specimens of Diptera (Culicida), Lepidoptera (-Noctuelles-), Arachnida (Araneida), Acaria. LINDBERG (1958: 122, 1961: 13) recorded the skull of a wolf (Lupus lupus) and other bones. JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1746) list from Grotte Tcherm Gan, Beltchiragh Arachnida: Acari parasiti: Argasidae: Ornithodoros tholozani LALBOULBENE & MEGNIN.: 13) recorded the skull of a wolf (Lupus lupus) and other bones. JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1746) list from Grotte Tcherm Gan, Beltchiragh Arachnida: Acari parasiti: Argasidae: Ornithodoros tholozani LALBOULBENE & MEGNIN.