KOTAK (Cave at)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A sizeable cave and spring (note 1) at the foot of a -rocky boss- (lit. bosse de rochers) with detached boulders (gravitationally dislocated, some tens of metres high). SITUATION: About 20 km from Ferenjal (note 2) near the villages of Bed and Kotouk (note 3) above the left (northern) bank of Ghorband River, and on the right-hand side of the road climbing up along the stream Zere Shebar (Jar-e Shebar) to the Shebar Pass (Kotale Shebar, Kowtal-e Shebar, Pai-i-Kotal N34°54': E68°15' nima.mil/geonames accessed 28.05.2004).CAVE DESCRIPTION: A wide but low cave entrance, complete with water rising from a nearby spring, opens into the accessible part of the cave, which constitutes a relatively large chamber, partly filled with water. The cave floor is covered with stones, except near the entrance. Calcite formations (in French: -concretions-) are absent. A second cave entrance was seen on the opposite (?) side of the -rock boss- (note 4). CAVE CLIMATE: 1957.07.29 1957.10.06 12°C 11°C ai in chamber (température de l'air du vestibule), 10°C air at road-side (température de l'air à l'arriere de la bosse), 10°C 10°C water in chamber (température de l'eaux dans le vestibule), 9°C water at back (température de l'eaux en arriere de la bosse), 18°C 17.5°C air in entrance (température de l'air à l'entrée). CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1958: 119-120) collected from the cave floor and walls Coleoptera (-Carabique-, Staphylinida), Diptera (Muscida), and Arachnida; from bat guano (indicating Chiroptera) Chilopoda, Collembola, Coleoptera (Staphylinida), Diptera (Sciarida, Anthomyida, larva), and Acaria; from water Oligochaeta (Enchytraeida, Tuboficida), Ostracoda, Cyclopida, Harpacticida. JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1745-1747) list Crustacea: Copepoda: Canthocamptidae: Bryocamptus zschokkei orientalis CHAPPUIS. Crustacea: Ostracoda: Cyprididae: Cavernocypris subterranea WOLF = Cavernocypris lindbergi HARTMANN 1964. Arachnida: Acari terrestria: Parasitidae: Eugamasus lunulatus J MÜLLER, collected from bat guano (Chiroptera!). Insecta: Coleoptera: Trechinae: Duvalius lindbergi COIFFAIT. in chamber (température de l'air du vestibule), 10°C air at road-side (température de l'air à l'arriere de la bosse), 10°C 10°C water in chamber (température de l'eaux dans le vestibule), 9°C water at back (température de l'eaux en arriere de la bosse), 18°C 17.5°C air in entrance (température de l'air à l'entrée). CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1958: 119-120) collected from the cave floor and walls Coleoptera (-Carabique-, Staphylinida), Diptera (Muscida), and Arachnida; from bat guano (indicating Chiroptera) Chilopoda, Collembola, Coleoptera (Staphylinida), Diptera (Sciarida, Anthomyida, larva), and Acaria; from water Oligochaeta (Enchytraeida, Tuboficida), Ostracoda, Cyclopida, Harpacticida. JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1745-1747) list Crustacea: Copepoda: Canthocamptidae: Bryocamptus zschokkei orientalis CHAPPUIS. Crustacea: Ostracoda: Cyprididae: Cavernocypris subterranea WOLF = Cavernocypris lindbergi HARTMANN 1964. Arachnida: Acari terrestria: Parasitidae: Eugamasus lunulatus J MÜLLER, collected from bat guano (Chiroptera!). Insecta: Coleoptera: Trechinae: Duvalius lindbergi COIFFAIT.