Caracol Creek Coon Cave is one of the many forgotten caves of San Antonio, Texas. A lot of information has been documented about this cave online and offline, not so much the history. This news article will explain the Geology, biology, and history behind Caracol Creek Coon Cave. This cave also is now as 1604 Cave and Little Caracol Creek Coon Cave.
Caracol Creek Coon Cave is located immediately adjacent to Loop 1604 & Military Drive West. The cave itself is located alongside Loop 1604. (Ref: Reddell, 1993)
Caracol Creek Coon Cave has a heavy fire ant infestation among some karst features despite the area being partially developed. Caracol Creek Coon Cave is occupied by the endangered cave beetle, Rhadine infernalis which is also known as R. infernalis. R. infernalis is a species of ground beetle. The species of Cicurina (Cicurella) loftini inhabits two caves including Caracol Creek Coon Cave. Ants and beetles are the insects which inhabit Caracol Creek Coon Cave. (Ref: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2012-02-14/pdf/2012-2195.pdf)
This species of Cicurina (Cicurella) loftini is known only to inhabit two caves including Caracol Creek Coon Cave. Caracol Creek Coon Cave is just one of those two caves Cicurina (Cicurella) loftini are known to reside in. (Ref: https://www.edwardsaquifer.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2004_ReddellCokendolpher_CaveSpiders.pdf)
A diversity of native and a few non-native species exist around Caracol Creek Coon Cave. The invasive grass Bothriochloa ischaemum and herbaceous plants (L.) Keng (King Ranch bluestem), Gray (hogplum), Colubrina texensis (Torr. & Gray), and Quercus fusiformis Small (Texas live oak) also cave be discovered when looking into this cave. (Ref: https://www.inhs.illinois.edu/files/9313/4218/9741/ZahniserEtAl2011InvasiveLeafhopperBalclutha_EntNews_v121n1p132-138.pdf)
Not many know this factual bit of information but Caracol Creek Coon Cave was formed out of Austin Chalk. This lithology was an important factor in development for this cave. An unnamed tributary from the east cuts deep into the Austin Chalk. This tributary leads to and underground creek which is the width of Caracol Creek Coon Cave’s groundwater drainage basin. Drainage within the cave moves to the area of lowest floor elevation, southwest of the entrance. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/TX_Karst_Veni_2002_Bexar_Inverts_Delineation_of_Zones.pdf)
Caracol Creek Coon Cave is located at Loop 1604 & Military Drive West, San Antonio, Texas, US 78245.
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Geology and biology of Caracol Creek Coon Cave in San Antonio, Texas explored.
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I'm the original discoverer of Caracol Creek Coon Cave. I was a member of the San Antonio Grotto at the time and first explored it with my caving partner Randy Waters. Randy later surveyed the cave and called me while drafting the map to ask me to name the cave as it's discoverer. I originally named it Caracol Creek Coon Crap Cave due to the presence of racoon feces on ledges at the small pit entrance, or C5 Cave among cavers. The Crap portion of the name seems to have been dropped at some point. The cave is now federally protected. John Cross jrcbvd5561@gmail.com for further history / info....
ReplyDeleteAdding to the history, a local contractor accidently augered through a large telephone cable along the fence line south of the cave. My job as an insurance investigator was to work up a report for the cable owner's insurance company. While returning to my truck parked north of the accident, I glanced west over the fence line and noticed an odd looking clump of bushes that seemed out place, too green and thick compared to the surrounding scrub. The area was under development and no longer a private parcel so I hopped the fence and found the small pit entrance hidden in the clump of bushes. Randy and I returned late that afternoon and explored the two passages leading off in either direction from small pit entrance. Randy returned later with a survey crew and created a map. The cave has since been resurveyed and scientifically studied, confirming the presence of an endangered species, thus the current protection of the cave and the land around it. John Cross jrcbvd5561@gmail.com
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