An extraordinary longevity has been observed in some cave species, and this raised the
hypothesis that a longer lifespan may be considered one of the characteristic traits of these …

Simple Summary Sentience is a complex and contentious concept, especially when
attributing the label to non-human animals. Non-avian reptiles are often overlooked in many …

Physical inactivity is a scourge to human health, promoting metabolic disease and muscle
wasting. Interestingly, multiple ecological niches have relaxed investment into physical …

In comparison to biodiversity on Earth's surface, subterranean biodiversity has largely
remained concealed. The olm (Proteus anguinus) is one of the most enigmatic extant cave …

Complex parenting has been proposed to contribute to the evolutionary success of
vertebrates. However, the evolutionary routes to complex parenting and the role of parenting …

Animals living in caves have attracted the interest of naturalists and biologists since the
beginning of modern science (Poulson & White, 1969; Vandel, 1964). Caves and other …

Behaviour is considered among the most important factors in colonising new habitats. While
population divergence in behaviour is well-documented, intraspecific variation in exploratory …

Highlights•In prey-rich habitat, salamanders displaying a sit-and-wait strategy grew larger.•In
prey-poor habitat, salamanders displaying a sit-and-wait strategy did not grow.•An active …

The effective detection of both prey and predators is pivotal for the survival of
mesopredators. However, the condition of being a mesopredator is strongly context …

Throughout most of the kingdom Animalia, evolutionary transitions from surface life to a life
permanently bound to caves and other subterranean habitats have occurred innumerous …