Scientists have discovered a unique population of orange dwarf crocodiles living in the darkness of Gabon's caves. These crocodiles feed on bats and cave crickets, thriving in an environment unlike any other. Research suggests they may be evolving into a new species.
Deep inside one of Gabon 's cave systems lives an unusual population of orange dwarf crocodiles. They live in complete darkness, feast on bats and swim in liquid guano (aka bat poop.) It's unknown how many crocodiles are living in these caves, or when they adopted this subterranean lifestyle, but they may have been down there for thousands of years — and scientists say they may even be in the process of evolving into a new species.
The cave-dwelling crocodiles were only studied for the first time in 2010, and a 2016 study that compared them to their forest-dwelling counterparts showed a number of differences between the two. Their diets are very different, with the cave crocs feeding almost exclusively on the bounty of crickets and bats that cling to the cave walls. They found the cave crocodiles were generally in better condition than those living in the forest, which the team say is likely due to the abundance of prey available and a lack of predators. They suggest the cave crocodiles lay their eggs at the mouth of the caves, then the juveniles venture into the darkness. Once they reach adulthood, it's thought they barely leave the caves again. The unusual orange skin seen on adult crocodiles may be the result of their time swimming in bat guano, which is rich in urea, lead author Matthew Shirley, a conservation biologist from Florida International University, told National Geographic in 2018. Over time, this exposure appears to cause chemical bleaching of the crocodiles' skin, the study authors wrote
CROCODILES EVOLUTION CAVES GABON BIODIVERSITY
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