Living in the Dark Zone

 Living in the Dark Zone

    There are some creatures most people have never seen. These creatures never see you, either. They live in the dark zone. The dark zone isn't a place in outer space. It's the area deep within a cave.

    This cool, dark zone is home to all sorts of animals. Sunlight never reaches the dark zone. Many of these animals, such as the blind crayfish, cannot see. Yet this is not a problem. Animals that live here use other senses to stay alive.

    Some dark zone animals have no eyes. The Texas blind salamander is one example. The Texas blind salamander has two small black dots under its skin where eyes would be found. It hunts in cave water for tiny snails and shrimp.

    How can it find food if it can't see? It hunts for food in a special way. A snail or shrimp makes small waves when it moves in the water. The salamander can feel where the waves come from. Then it knows that dinner is close by. Watch out, snail!