The

cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...

s of the Serro da Ramalho

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

area in the municipality of Serra do Ramalho, a municipality of the same name in southwestern Bahia State,

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, have been explored since the early 2000s. The several large cave systems present a great biospeleological potential. Newly discovered species include the first

troglobitic A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species, or population of a species, strictly bound to underground habitats, such as caves. These are separate from species that mainly live in above-ground habitats but are also able to live u ...

Amblypygi Amblypygi is an order of arachnids also known as whip-spiders or tailless whip-scorpions, not to be confused with whip-scorpions or vinegaroons that belong to the related order Thelyphonida. The name "amblypygid" means "blunt tail", a referen ...

recorded for Brazil, '' Charinus troglobius'' Baptista & Giupponi, 2003, an eyeless

harvestman The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an order of arachnids, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs (see below). , over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the total n ...

('' Giupponia chagasi'' Pérez & Kury, 2002), an as yet undescribed genus of spiders (

Ochyroceratidae Ochyroceratidae is a six-eyed spider family, with 165 described species in ten genera. They are common inhabitants of caves and the tropical forest litter of South Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and South America. Considered an ecological counterpar ...

), and a species of

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

('' Rhamdia enfurnada'' Bichuette & Trajano, 2005).Bichuette & Trajano 2005: 588

Footnotes

References

* (2005): A new cave species of '' Rhamdia'' (

Siluriformes Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not all catfish have prominent barbels or "whis ...

: Heptapteridae) from Serra do Ramalho, northeastern Brazil, with notes on ecology and behavior. ''Neotropical Ichthyology'' 3(4): 587–595
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* (2003): A new troglomorphic '' Charinus'' from Minas Gerais State, Brazil (Arachnida: Amblypygi: Charinidae). '' Revista Ibérica de Aracnología'' 7: 79–84.

Footnotes

References

Further reading