What is the difference between troglobite and troglophile?

Answer 1

To give you a complete answer;

o Trolgo -- from Greek "gnarled hole"

o Xene -- from the greek meaning "guest"

o Phile -- from the greek meaning "loving"

o Bite -- from the greek biont "to live"

Put these together you get;

· Trogloxene - an animal that uses caves for shelter but does not complete its life cycle in them. (e.g. Bats and Cave Swiftlets)

· Troglophile - a cave-dwelling animal that may complete its life cycle in a cave, but can also survive in above ground habitats. (e.g. cockroaches and Spiders)

· Troglobite - live permanently underground and cannot survive outside the cave environment. (e.g. blind salamander and cave angel fish)

To be super exact for animals that live in or use underground water or sea caves, use the prefix Stygo (from the greek river Styx) instead of Troglo giving;

· Stygoxenes

· Stygophiles

· Stygobites