Devil's Icebox (cave)

The cave was probably given the name Devil's Icebox by people living in area during the early 1800s. The word icebox in the name probably came from the very cold air that leaks from the cave all year. In 1926, the name of the cave was printed in an article about the earliest exploration of the cave in 1924. == History ==

The stream that flows through Devil's Icebox Cave was a source of power for settlers in the 19th century. The earliest exploration of the cave took place in 1924. Access to the cave was restricted in 2006. Then in 2010, tours to the general public stopped to protect the bats from white-nose syndrome. Despite this, the disease affected the caves in Rock Bridge during 2013. == Characteristics ==

Temperature The cave maintains a temperature of 13 °C (55.4 °F). Species According to the U.S. Government Printing Office, Devil's Icebox has the second highest number of species out of the over 6000 caves in Missouri. In 2007, 80 species have been identified in the cave. the rarity of this species was once used as an argument to prevent the construction of a shopping mall in the area. The cave is also home to species of salamanders, frogs, troglobites, millipede, spiders, and springtail. Length It is considered the seventh A survey made in 1986 yielded an estimate of . Geology The cave is a double sink hole. which had formed 300 million years ago. In January 1994, a stream in the cave was oversaturated with calcite and dolomite. In 2017 stalagmites in the cave were studied. == References ==