The animals that live under the rocks are fascinating.
They don’t get as much attention as their above-ground cousins, but they have many unique adaptations and behaviors.
This post will give you a rundown of the most common animals that live in rock crevices, including lizards, frogs, salamanders and more!
Animals that live under rocks
Below we have compiled this list of some of the most common animals that live under rocks.
Snakes are reptiles that spend most of their lives on land, in water, or even in trees.
Snakes have many adaptations to help them survive in their habitats, such as scales that help protect them from harm.
Snakes often curl up and hide under rocks for shelter.
So even large snakes can fit under rocks and some can be venomous, so be careful when turning over rocks.
oak toad | photo by Judy Gallagher via Flickr | CC BY 2.0
Frogs are amphibians, but they actually have rough and bumpy skin unlike frogs.
They can be found in a variety of habitats, from tropical rainforests to deserts, but they prefer moist places such as leaf litter or under rocks.
Most toads are carnivores, mostly eating insects and other invertebrates although some are good enough to eat small vertebrates such as fish, lizards, and other frogs and toads.
They use their long tongues to pick up food on the ground or catch it in the air!
Some toads release poison through their skin when threatened (these poisons can hurt humans); some turn black when touched by potential enemies.
Image by InspiredImages from Pixabay
Frogs are a type of frog, but frogs are different in many ways.
Frogs have wet skin and live more often in or smooth water.
Although both are found under rocks to escape the heat and hide from predators.
Frogs are amphibians, meaning they live on land or in water.
They are also cold-blooded, which means their bodies don’t have to work as hard to maintain their body temperature.
brown anole | Image by Jody Davis from Pixabay
Lizards are cold-blooded reptiles, which means that their body temperature depends on the environment around them.
Lizards have scales and claws for climbing.
Most lizards are found in a variety of habitats such as deserts, grasslands, forests, and swamps.
Lizards also burrow under rocks to escape predators or extreme weather conditions or when danger approaches.
Salamanders are amphibians, meaning they have moist skin and spend part of their lives on land and part in water.
While salamanders are very similar to lizards, they are different in many ways.
One of the similarities between these animals is that they can both be found hiding under rocks!
Some salamanders live most of their adult lives on land and are considered semi-aquatic, while others spend their lives in water and are considered aquatic.
Newts are amphibians and are found near ponds, streams and lakes but are mostly terrestrial animals.
They eat insects and sometimes small vertebrates.
They are cold-blooded reptiles and like the other animals on this list, are often found living under rocks.
Newts have dry skin unlike salamanders whose skin is mostly moist, and unlike lizards they do not have scales.
Carolina wolf spider | image by Fritz Flohr Reynolds via Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
Spiders are arachnids and have eight legs.
Some spiders spend most of their time on the ground and live under rocks and other objects on the forest floor.
8. Millipedes and Centipedes
Centipede on wet log | photo by Katja Schulz via Flickr | CC BY 2.0
Millipede and centipede are both arthropods, but they have many differences.
Millipedes don’t actually have 1,000 legs but many species can have as many as 400 or more.
Centipedes usually have fewer legs than millipedes, but not necessarily 100 legs.
They have one pair of legs per body part, and the number of body parts in a centipede depends on the species.
Some species of centipedes are even poisonous.
Millipedes and centipedes are decomposers and can be found in gardens or under rocks.
Image by Natfot from Pixabay
Like centipedes and millipedes, worms are also decomposers.
The worms live in the soil and can often be seen if you look under rocks.
stag beetle | Image by Lubos Houska from Pixabay
Beetles and other types of insects are often found seeking shelter under rocks.
If you turn over a stone, you will see that they are scattered because the roof of their house was recently demolished.
Most of these insects are completely harmless, but you should always be careful and not just pick them up because you don’t know who might get hurt or bitten.
If you’re walking in a forest or even in your own backyard, pick up a rock and see what you find.
Look closely to find out what kind of animals live under it.
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