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Caves

Bar Pot, part of the Gaping Gill cave system Bar Pot, part of the Gaping
Gill cave system
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The Yorkshire Dales National Park is renowned for its caves the majority of which are in the limestone areas of the Park. It is the geological and archaeological interest of the caves which is of primary importance as well as their recreational use for potholing. Caves do however, provide habitats for a number of important species. Bats are known to use caves for hibernating over the winter as are a number of butterflies and moths such as the tissue moth, herald moth, peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies. There are also some species of invertebrate that live solely in caves such as the cave spider Meta menardi for which the Dales caves are probably notable. Caves are of high biodiversity importance in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

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Yorkshire Dales National Park

Calcareous grassland habitat, © Whitfield Benson.
Curlew, © Whitfield Benson.
Frog orchid, © Whitfield Benson.
Heather moorland habitat, © YDNPA.
Juniper on Moughton, © Frances Graham.
Lapwing, © Whitfield Benson.
Limestone pavement habitat at Scar Close, © Whitfield Benson.
Otter, © Whitfield Benson.
Northern brown argus butterfly, © YDNPA.
Red squirrel, © Whitfield Benson.
Twite, © Whitfield Benson.
Upland lake habitat, © Whitfield Benson.
Garden tiger moth, © Whitfield Benson.

Other sources of information

The following publications are available from our online shop or by contacting the Hawes National Park Centre:

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