cavedweller

Cavedweller, or cave dweller, is a term used to describe a person, animal, or organism that primarily lives in caves. In anthropological contexts, it is often used informally to refer to prehistoric humans who used caves for shelter during the Paleolithic, though it is not a technical archaeological designation. The term derives from cave and dweller, and may be written as cave-dweller or cavedweller in various texts.

In biology, cave-dwelling species are classified by their degree of dependence on cave environments. Troglobionts are obligate cave-dwellers that spend their entire life cycle in caves and exhibit traits such as reduced pigment and loss of functional eyes. Troglophiles can complete their life cycle in caves but also occur outside. Troglobionts include many invertebrates and some fish and amphibians.

In cultural usage, cave-dwellers have appeared in folklore and fiction as mysterious recluses or hermits living in remote underground spaces. The phrase is also used metaphorically to describe modern individuals who prefer seclusion or who are perceived as living detached from mainstream society.

Contemporary examples include natural cave habitats that contain resident communities, such as bats and invertebrates, as well as historical or tourist cave dwellings—human cave dwellings have been documented in various regions where societies adapted dwellings to shelter and habitation.