2010 04 10 NM, Carlsbad Caverns National Park

The Bashful Elephants! Do you see them?




It was my first visit to Carlsbad Caverns, but for Joe it had only been 45 YEARS! We enjoy the underground magic and mystery of the caves, cool and quiet, it makes you wonder who would crawl through a little hole in the ground just to see what was in there. I am glad someone did, but I am not that curious.


Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in the Chihuahuan Desert and Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas. The park is filled with prickly pear cactus, chollas, sotols and agaves. You would never guess that there are more than 300 known caves beneath the surface. The park's 117 caves were formed around 250 million years ago when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone, creating some of the largest caves in North America.

There are many species of wildlife in the park. Birds, insects, reptiles and mammals - including bats! In fact there are 17 different bat species. A large colony of Brazilian (or Mexican) free-tail bats wows visitors every evening from spring through fall with its spectacular outflights. Two other species have also been found regularly in Carlsbad Cavern—cave myotis and fringed myotis bats. They typically roost in a different part of the cave and their exit flight is typically later in the evening than that of the free-tail bats.