Petty John's Cave popular destinations of the cave. Formations in Petty John's Cave include: Stalagmites that are a type of speleothem that rises from the floor of a limestone cave due to the dripping of mineralized solutions and the deposition of calcium carbonate. Stalactites are also found in the cave. These formations hang from the ceiling or wall of the cave. There are also pillars, soda straws, cave pearls, flowstones, and cave popcorn are other formations in the cave. In addition, waterfalls can be found in the stream passage section. This cave hosts tri-colored bats during their winter hibernation because temperatures are low
Speleothem bedrock or detritus, and/or deposited because of a unique set of conditions in a cave; i.e., the cave environment has influenced the mineral's deposition. 319 variations of cave mineral deposits have been identified. The vast majority of speleothems are calcareous, composed of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite or aragonite, or calcium sulfate in the form of gypsum. Calcareous speleothems form via carbonate dissolution reactions. Rainwater in the soil zone reacts with soil CO to create weakly acidic water via the reaction: As the lower pH water travels through the calcium carbonate bedrock from the surface to the cave