Kantemo's Cave Of Hanging Snakes.
- bioworld090
- Mar 3, 2023
- 2 min read
La Cueva de las serpentios colgantes or the cave of the hanging serpents is a cave in the Kantemo town of Mexico. Kantemo is a traditional Mayan town with a population of 200-300 people, located in the municipality of José María Morelos in the state of Quintana Roo.
The cave of the hanging serpents attracts tourists and adventurers from all over the world. Keeping this in mind, the locals decided to use this opportunity to make money from tourism and teach people about the cave and culture. As a result, they made a cooperative under the Beej Ka’ax Ha community project that provides tourists with accommodation, tours, guides, etc.
Visitors are provided with small cabins with a bedroom and bathroom. The cave is situated at a distance of a few minutes from the place of accommodation. To reach the cave, visitors are provided with mountain bikes, using which they, along with the local guides, have to pass through a jungle.
The cave of the hanging serpents is usually visited at sunset. Upon reaching, visitors could see hundreds of bats flying out of the cave every minute for 1.5-2 hours. Before entering the cave, visitors are required to wear a helmet, a headlight with white and red lights, gloves, and masks. Certain parts of the cave can be easily accessed by walking, but some parts of the cave require crawling through tight spaces.
The cave houses fossils in its limestone, 6-7 species of bats, hanging snakes, and a cenote with peculiar organisms. The floor of the cave is covered in guano (excrement or fecal matter of bats).
The snakes found in the cave are yellow-red rat snakes. The scientific name is Pseudelaphe flavirufa and these snakes are non-venomous. They are constrictors and kill their prey by wrapping around them. The yellow-red rat snakes of the cave feed on the bats that fly out during the sunset. The snakes hang from the crevices of the cave and snatch the bats mid-flight using their mouth. Then, they kill them by constriction and swallow them whole.
Other than the different species of bats and the hanging snakes, there are also some other peculiar creatures in the cave. They are found in the cenote that is located inside the cave. Typhlatya shrimp, Creaseria morleyi, Mexican blind brotula (Typhliasina pearsei), blind swamp eel (Ophisternon infernale), and tailless whip scorpion are some of the creatures found in the cave. These creatures are almost white in color as they have no pigmentation.
Find these rare creatures in this video from Fearless & Far.
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