22 ‘Snottites’ hang in this cave that smells like eggs
Known as Sulphur Cave Spring, this cavern in Colorado is teeming with toxic gases, covered in blood-red worms and dripping in bacteria. Emitting a stench of rotten eggs, this cave gets its name from the high levels of sulphur stored within. Vented from deep below Earth’s surface, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide fill the cave, making it potentially deadly for anyone that enters. However, quite strangely, life is thriving within. Blood worms are one of the abundant cave dwellers, feasting on the bountiful amounts of bacteria that line the cave walls. It’s believed the worms obtain their colour thanks to high haemoglobin levels in their bodies as a defence against the deadly sulphur gas. The high temperatures and humidity within the cave make a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, so much so that oozing from the ceiling are slimy structures known as ‘snottites’, formed over time as bacteria have grown into mucus-like structures.