Mmastodon ScienceScience first seen 18 h ago, last 44 min ago, peak #2

Cameras catch dwarf crocodiles hunting bats in Gabon's caves

Original: 🐊 NEW: In # Gabon ’s # Abanda Caves, dwarf # crocodiles roughly 1.5 meters long live in permanent darkness among mounds

Remote cameras in Gabon's Abanda Caves have recorded dwarf crocodiles, about 1.5 meters long, catching bats mid-flight for the first time. The reptiles live in permanent darkness among mounds of bat guano, and while researchers already knew bats were part of their diet, no one had ever directly observed the hunt before.

Why now: First-ever visual evidence of a surprising predator-prey behavior in an extreme cave environment

dwarf crocodilesAbanda CavesGabon

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Evidence

• 🐊 NEW: In # Gabon ’s # Abanda Caves, dwarf # crocodiles roughly 1.5 meters long live in permanent darkness among mounds of bat guano. Researchers knew the reptiles ate # bats but had never observed the hunt until remote cameras caught them snatching bats mid-flight. The #… · tksst@fediscience.org · 8

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