Would You Dare Enter Yucatan's Mysterious Cave of the Hanging Serpents? Brian Clark Howard - National Geographic
go to original November 29, 2016

Indiana Jones would not want to explore this cave, where snakes hang from the ceiling, waiting to snag bats from the air for dinner.

Near the town of Kantemó in southern Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the cave is a growing destination for adventurous ecotourists. About 300 visitors enter the cave a year, hoping to get a glimpse of the unusual behavior, says Liliana Garcia Ramirez, the director of Amigos de Sian Ka’an, a local nonprofit.

The yellow-red rat snakes (Pseudelaphe flavirufa) are not venomous, Ramirez says, and, as fierce as they look, they aren't a threat to people.

Typically, the relatively small serpentsy prey on rodents, lizards, and other small animals on the ground, in forests. But over time, some have discovered a new niche: bats.

...In the Yucatan, locals - many of whom are of Maya descent - have long known about the snakes, referring to their lair as “Bat Cave.” It is also sometimes called the Cave of the Hanging Snakes (or serpents).

“Local people are committed to preserving this cave,” says Ramirez, adding that many view it as a unique part of their heritage. “They also know that it helps bring tourists into the area.”

All visitors must be accompanied by a guide, all of whom are certified, Ramirez says. No one is allowed to disturb or touch the animals, and only groups up to ten are allowed, to minimize impact. The snakes don’t seem to be bothered by spectators, she says.

Read the rest at National Geographic

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