Scientists have recorded the first footage of dwarf crocodiles catching bats inside a cave in Gabon, Live Science reported on Oct. 1. Matt Shirley, the crocodile researcher who studies the animals, called the footage “something we’ve never been able to see.”
What the Crocodile Footage Shows
The crocodiles live in a cave system in Gabon and hunt the bats that roost there, according to Live Science’s report by Patrick Pester. The animals have orange skin, which Live Science attributed to bat guano in the cave. Their population is genetically isolated from other dwarf crocodiles, the outlet reported, and a 2016 study in the African Journal of Ecology described the cave population.
Wikipedia’s entry on the Abanda Caves says more than 100,000 bats live there and that the crocodiles’ diet is mostly bats and cave crickets. The entry says Shirley led the first scientific expedition to the caves in 2010. Live Science says the cave was “discovered in 2008,” a date the other sources reviewed did not confirm.
Who Matt Shirley Is
Shirley is a research assistant professor at Florida International University and a National Geographic Explorer, according to FIU. The university said he appears in a National Geographic docuseries, “Africa: Earth’s Wild Home.”
When and Where to Watch
The series premieres Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. EDT, FIU reported. The crocodile segment is in episode two, titled “Jungle.” The series streams on Disney+ and Hulu the next day.
What Happens Next
The series premieres tonight. The reports reviewed did not say whether Shirley plans to publish the footage in a scientific journal.
