Blind, pale and fierce: Dragon-Like creatures found in South Korean caves

Hidden beneath South Korea’s surface, in dark limestone hollows, live creatures few have ever seen. Now, thanks to determined scientists, four new species have been added to the world’s record.

A research team led by Kyung-Hoon Jeong from Jeonbuk National University has discovered four new dragon pseudoscorpions while exploring several caves across the country. These ancient arthropods, despite their fearsome jaws, are tiny—measuring just 1 to 3 mm in length.

Mouths Like Dragons, But Eyes Nowhere in Sight

Known for their oversized ‘chelicerae,’ or mouthparts, these pseudoscorpions use their dragon-like jaws to snatch prey. But their fearsome appearance ends there. Each of the newly discovered species is completely blind and ghostly pale, having evolved in pitch-black conditions where sight and pigmentation are unnecessary.

“Those jaws look like something out of mythology,” Jeong told BBC Wildlife, comparing them to dragons from ancient tales. But these creatures, scuttling silently in eternal darkness, have no need for vision or colour.

The miniature dragon pseudoscorpions (Spelaeochthonius dugigulensis, shown here) range in size from just 1 to 3 millimetres in length. (Image: Jeong et al., 2025, PLOS One, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BBC Wildlife)

A World Beneath Our Feet Still Largely Unexplored

Dragon pseudoscorpions belong to one of the oldest branches of their family and are found on every continent except Antarctica. However, South Korea offers a particularly rich habitat, as more than 1,000 caves remain largely unstudied. The newly found species are likely endemic, meaning they exist nowhere else.

But their homes face threats. Climate change, land development, and increased tourism put South Korea’s caves—and their unique residents—at risk. Scientists say urgent study is needed to understand the biodiversity hidden within and to guide efforts to protect it.

For Jeong and his team, that means more fieldwork. They plan to keep exploring, sample by sample, hoping that better knowledge will inspire stronger protections for these fragile ecosystems.

Many new species may still await discovery. And perhaps, some could be even stranger than these tiny, blind predators with dragon-like jaws.