Deep in the Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico lies a labyrinth of more than 119 known caves, carved into ancient limestone reefs. This is Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Carlsbad Caverns was established as a national monument in 1923, before being designated as a national park in 1930. The caverns were also added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995, when UNESCO declared that they were particularly notable worldwide because of their impressive “size, mode of origin, and the abundance, diversity and beauty of the speleothems (decorative rock formations) within.”
The caves were formed about 250 million years ago, when a shallow sea surrounded by a limestone reef covered the area. When the sea evaporated, the dripping of acidic groundwater carved out the enormous chambers that created the caves we see today.
Above ground (and in the caves themselves) lives a rich and surprising range of wildlife, with 67 mammals, 357 birds and hundreds of reptiles and insects calling the Carlsbad Caverns National Park home. This is mainly thanks to the diverse desert vegetation and eclectic array of habitats present there.
Wildlife in Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Mexican free-tailed bats
Large colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats (also known as Brazilian free-tailed bats) raise their young in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, with thousands emerging from the entrance to the caves each evening to hunt. This particular species are super fast, travelling up to 60mph and covering between 10 and 25 miles each night, often feeding on insects at particularly high altitudes.
Cave swallows
In the park, a desert wooded area known as Rattlesnake Springs has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society, drawing birders from around the world. A large colony of cave swallows resides and breeds around the entrance in the summer.
The cave swallow is a close relative of the cliff swallow. It is a diurnal bird, hunting throughout the day. They will return to the caves to roost as the bats leave for the evening.
Desert mule deer
Desert mule deer are found grazing on the low desert flats of the national park, blending seamlessly into the landscape with their clever camouflage. They’re most active at dawn and dusk, when the temperatures are a little cooler.
Peccaries
Also known as javelinas, collared peccaries are easily mistaken for wild boars – but they’re actually a very different animal. They forage on the prickly pear cactus around the national park, and, like desert mule deer, they’re mostly active at the beginning and end of each day, avoiding the intense desert heat.
Texas horned lizards
Sometimes referred to as 'horny toads', Texas horned lizards are found in the dry, rocky scrublands of the national park around ant colonies – their main food source. They are among the 46 species of reptile found in the park, along with the grey-banded kingsnake – an endangered species in New Mexico – and the mottled rock rattlesnake. Lizards are the most commonly spotted reptiles in the park.
Pumas
The park is a year-round habitat for these predators, which inhabit its rugged, remote regions and are rarely spotted by visitors. Pumas' hunting grounds are the rocky ridges and canyons, where they prey on mule deer and other small mammals.
Top image: Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico (credit: franksvalli/Getty Images)
