A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species, or population of a species, strictly bound to underground habitats, such as caves.
These are separate from species that mainly live in above-ground habitats but are also able to live underground (eutroglophiles), and species that are only cave visitors (subtroglophiles and trogloxenes).
Land-dwelling troglobites may be referred to as troglofauna, while aquatic species may be called stygofauna, although for these animals the term stygobite is preferable.
Troglobites typically have evolutionary adaptations to cave life.
Examples of such adaptations include slow metabolism, reduced energy consumption, better food usage efficiency, decrease or loss of eyesight (anophthalmia), and depigmentation (absence of pigment in the integument).
Conversely, as opposed to lost or reduced functions, many species have evolved elongated antennal and locomotory appendages, in order to better move around and respond to environmental stimuli.
These structures are also full of chemical, tactile and humidity receptors.
Troglobites commonly do not survive well outside caves and therefore cannot travel between separate cave systems.
As a result, many troglobiotic species are endemic to a single cave or system of caves.
Not all cave dwelling species are considered to be troglobites.
An animal found in an underground environment may be a troglophile (a species living both in subterranean and in epigean habitats, e.g. bats and cave swallows) or a trogloxene (a species only occurring sporadically in a hypogean habitat and unable to establish a subterranean population). [[Flatworm]]
s    Hausera hauseri
[[Mollusca]]
Tumbling Creek cavesnail (Antrobia culveri)
Cave physa (Physella spelunca)
Phantom cave snail (Cochliopa texana)
Mimic cavesnail (Phreatodrobia imitata)
Zospeum
Tashan cave snail (Trogloiranica tashanica)
[[Velvet worm]]s
White cave velvet worm (Peripatopsis alba)
[[Arthropod]]a
[[Arachnid]]a
Kauaʻi cave wolf spider (Adelocosa anops)
Nelson cave spider (Spelungula cavernicola)
Calicina cloughensis
Texella reddelli
Trogloraptor marchingtoni
Apochthonius mysterius – Mystery Cave pseudoscorpion
Apochthonius typhlus – Stone County cave pseudoscorpion
Hesperochernes occidentalis – guano pseudoscorpion
Mundochthonius cavernicolus – cavernicolous pseudoscorpion
Phanetta subterranea – cave spider
Porrhomma cavernicola – cavernicolous Porrhomma spider
Porrhomma rosenhaueri – A blind cave Spider (very rare)
Sinopoda scurion – eyeless huntsman spider
Troglokhammouanus steineri – Xe Bang Fai cave scorpion
Vietbocap lao – Nam Lot cave scorpion
Parobisium yosemite – Yosemite cave pseudoscorpion
Titanobochica magna – cave pseudoscorpion
Cicurina madla – Madla Cave meshweaver
Chinquipellobunus madlae – cave harvestman
Stalita taenaria
Mesostalita nocturna
Chthonius
Titanobochica
Neobisium maritimum
Agraecina cristiani - Movile Cave spider
[[Myriapoda]]
;Millipedes
Causeyella species
Chaetaspis aleyorum – Aleys' cave millipede
Chersoiulus sphinx
Desmoxytes
Mammamia profuga
Polydesmus subterraneus
Sinocallipus
Titanophyllum spiliarum
Trichopetalum whitei
Tingupa pallida
Zosteractis interminata
;Centipedes
Eupolybothrus cavernicolus
[[Crustacean|Crustacea]]
Alabama cave shrimp (Palaemonias alabamae)
Procambarus delicatus
Cambarus aculabrum – Benton County cave crayfish
Cambarus hamulatus  – Prickly cave crayfish
Cambarus hubrichti – Salem cave crayfish
Cambarus jonesi  – Alabama cave crayfish
Cambarus laconensis  – Lacon Exit cave crayfish
Cambarus pecki – Phantom cave crayfish
Cambarus setosus – Bristly cave crayfish
Cambarus speleocoopi  – Sweet Home Alabama cave crayfish
Cambarus tartarus - Oklahoma Cave Crayfish
Cambarus veitchorum  – White Spring cave crayfish
Cambarus zophonastes – Hell Creek cave crayfish
Faxonius stygocaneyi – Caney Mountain cave crayfish
Orconectes australis  - Southern cave crayfish
Orconectes barri  - Cumberland Plateau cave crayfish
Orconectes incomptus  - Tennessee cave crayfish
Orconectes packardi  - Appalachian cave crayfish
Orconectes sheltae  - Shelta cave crayfish
Typhlocaris
Macromaxillocaris
Samarplax principe
Cyclops vernalis
Holoped amazonicum
Barburia yanezi
Spelaeorchestia koloana
Gammarus acherondytes – Illinois cave amphipod
Andhracoides shabuddin– Guthikonda cave isopod
Andhracoides gebaueri– Belum cave isopod
Allocrangonyx hubrichti – Hubricht's long-tailed amphipod
Bactrurus brachycaudus – short-tailed groundwater amphipod
Bactrurus hubrichti – sword-tail cave amphipod
Bactrurus pseudomucronatus – false sword-tailed cave amphipod
Caecidotea antricola – cave isopod
Caecidotea dimorpha – Missouri cave isopod
Caecidotea fustis – Fustis cave isopod
Caecidotea salemensis – Salem cave isopod
Caecidotea serrata – serrated cave isopod
Caecidotea stiladactyla – slender-fingered cave isopod
Caecidotea stygia – stygian cave isopod
Diacyclops yeatmani – Yeatman's groundwater copepod
Stygobromus barri – Barr's groundwater amphipod
Stygobromus clantoni – Clanton's groundwater amphipod
Stygobromus heteropodus – Pickle Springs amphipod
Stygobromus onondagaensis – Onondaga cave amphipod
Stygobromus ozarkensis – Ozark cave amphipod
Stygobromus putedus – Wisconsin groundwater amphipod
Stygobromus subtilis – subtle groundwater amphipod
Orcovita hickski
Orcovita orchardorum
Cancrocaeca
Androniscus dentiger – rosy woodlouse
Alpioniscus strasseri
Niphargus species
[[Insect]]a
See Cave insects [[Fish]]
List of cave fish
[[Amphibian]]s
Cave salamanders
[[Mammal]]s
There are no known mammals that live exclusively in caves.
Most bats sleep in caves during the day and hunt at night, but they are considered troglophiles or trogloxenes.
However some fossorials which spend their whole lives underground might be considered subterranean fauna, although they are not true troglofauna as they do not live in caves.
See also
Subterranean fauna
Troglofauna
References
X Troglobites
