When acidic rainwater dissolves limestone over millions of years, weathering causes small openings in rock to become larger. A network of underground passages and caves forms. The type of landform resulting from this process is called karst topography.
Karst caves in the Texas Hill Country provide habitats for many animal species, including frogs, salamanders, rattlesnakes, porcupines, and cave crickets. Cave crickets, which belong to the genus Ceuthophilus, live on the cave floors and lay eggs in the caves. Cave crickets exit the caves most nights to find food. These cave crickets consume a wide variety of food, including fungi, plant material, and dead insects.