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50:. Kotumsar cave is a major attraction for people interested in ecotourism. It was initially named Gopansar cave (Gopan = hidden) but the present name Kotumsar became more popular as the cave is located near a village named ‘Kotumsar’. Kotumsar cave formed on the Kanger limestone belt, situated near the bank of the River Kanger, a tributary of the Kolab River.
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The
Kotumsar Cave in Central India is one of the most biologically explored caves in India,. While surveying the Kotumsar cave one of Dr. Shankar Tiwari's then colleagues Dr. S.M. Agarwal, a biologist took interest in the biodiversity of the Kotumsar cave. He identified a species of blind fish that
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The cave has been known since the
British era of India, but it was not taken seriously until the 1950s when the geography professor Dr. Shankar Tiwari visited the cave and attempted to explore its chambers with limited resources and equipment. The cave was first systematically mapped in the 1980s by
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The entrance coordinates are 18052’09”N; 81056’05” E (WGS 84) and it lies at an altitude of 560 m above sea level. A vertical fissure in the wall of a hill serves as the main entry for the cave, and from there for the convenience of tourists a concrete path has been made extending to the end of the
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were also discovered here. The name of the discovered critter was given in honour of Dr. Shankar Tiwari. Later on several other species were also discovered in the cave by taxonomists (mostly arthropods), geomicrobiologists from the
National Cave Research and Protection Organization (India) also
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The complete biodiversity of this cave has been well described by Dr. Jayant Biswas in the year 2010. There are many more caves identified around 5 km radius of this caves, but
Kotumsar cave is the most biologically live cave of Kanger Valley National Park having healthy biodiversity.
67:. The cave is subject to frequent flooding during the monsoon season, which generally begins in the middle of June and continues until the middle of October. The site is closed to tourists during this period. Various water pools fed by seepage throughout the year also exist in this cave.
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Dr. Jayant Biswas (then a PhD scholar), guided by a
Romanian caver. The map was first published in Biswas's PhD dissertation in 1990, and in 1992 by him in the internationally recognized publication of the
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offer panoramic views. Air and water temperatures are relatively stable with an annual average of 28.25 ± 1.23 and 26.33 ± 0.96 °C, respectively (range = 25.0–32.7_C for air; 22.9–29.3 °C for
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In 2011 a small but highly panoramic chamber was discovered and explored by forest officials. As the approach is not easy, it is closed to tourists.
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To reach the park one follows the
Jagdalpur, Sukma road. The cave is located around 10 km from the main entrance of the national park.
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Towards regressive evolution: the periodic colour change behaviour of a troglophilic fish
Nemacheilus evezardi (Day)
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cave. The main tunnel of the cave is nearly 200 m long with several lateral and downward passages. Various types of
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Metabolic efficiency and regulation of body weight: a comparison between life in hypogean and epigean ecosystems
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Subterranean
Microhabitat Dependent Intra Versus Extracellular Enzyme Secretion Capabilities of
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Timed feeding synchronizes circadian rhythm in vertical swimming activity in cave loach,
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Impacts of
Ecotourism on Bat Habitats in Caves of Kanger Valley National Park, India
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Kotumsar Cave biodiversity: a review of cavernicoles and their troglobiotic traits
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National Cave
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Kotumsar Cave is biologically best known cave in India
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