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Cat's Den Cave Preserve

Stalactites at Cat's Den
Stalactites inside Cat's Den Cave
© Rebecca Stowe / TNC

This unique 86 acre tract was donated in 2003 to The Nature Conservancy in Mississippi.

This preserve features a small cave which lies among rolling limestone hills and a beautiful hardwood forest on West Tallahalla Creek, a tributary of the upper Leaf River. Conservancy staff and other scientists began conducting an inventory of the preserve's plants and wildlife in 2004. Mississippi State University researchers have mapped out more than 200 feet of passages at Cat’s Den Cave discovering stalactites, flowstone and rim stone.

The preserve will be open to the public for escorted field trips and science-related pursuits.

Location
Eastern Smith County, Mississippi

Plants
Some rare plants found at the Cat’s Den Cave Preserve:

  • Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens): An evergreen ground cover that prefers evenly moist soil.
  • Three-birds orchid (Triphora trianthophora): A small orchid named for its three flowers typically borne on each plant. All plants in the same area typically bloom on the same day with the flowers only lasting one day.
  • Silky Camellia (Stewartia malacodendron): A small tree with showy 3 inch white flowers.
  • American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius): A rare medicinal plant threatened by habitat destruction and over-harvesting.
  • Blue-needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix): A small shrubby, trunkless fan palm that grows to 6 feet in height. This plant has been threatened by commercial exploitation.
  • Wild ginger (Asarum canadense): Although once used by Native Americans to flavor foods, this ginger is not related to the culinary ginger used today.

Southern Leopard Frog
Southern leopard frog
© TNC

Invertebrates

  • Cave crickets

Animals

  • Bats
  • 3-lined salamander
  • Central newt
  • Slimy salamander
  • Bird-voiced tree frog
  • Southern leopard frog
  • Gray tree frog
  • Ground skink
  • Ringneck snake
  • Western cottonmouth
  • Timber rattlesnake

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Several rare plant species have been found in abundance at this location. Although many of these plants can be found quite readily in more northern climates, their presence is very unusual for Mississippi. Caves are extremely rare in Mississippi. Cat’s Den Cave provides a refuge for bats and other cave fauna.

The Nature Conservancy’s Work at Cat’s Den Cave Preserve
Conservancy staff and other scientists began conducting an inventory of the preserve’s plants and wildlife in 2004. The preserve is a favorite location for University field trips and nature walks. 

Land management activities include control of cogongrass and other invasive species.

The following groups have worked together to understand and protect the site’s rare and interdependent communities of plants and animals:

  • Conservancy staff and volunteers
  • Researchers
  • Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
  • University of Southern Mississippi
  • Mississippi State University

 For more information on Cat's Den Cave, please contact Becky Stowe, Director of Stewardship.

 

The Nature Conservancy

Mississippi Stewardship Program
138 Main Street Merrill
Lucedale, MS  39452
(601) 947-3111