[ad_1]
In Gabon a country of Central Africa known for its geological diversity and wildlife, scientists were very surprised to discover orange crocodiles unique in the world, living in caves amidst bat droppings
"When I approached with my flashlight in the cave, I saw red eyes … from crocodile ! Two years later, we removed a first specimen of cave and we realized that it was orange "recalls the geo Archaeologist Richard Oslisly.
his team was trying to find remains of human presence in caves of Abanda in southern Gabon. The "19459004" orange cavern crocodile which can measure up to 1.70 meters, is unique in the world and has not been seen in the country's caves African, according to Oslisly.
"At first, we thought that this color could be due to their diet, since we found that these reptiles eat bats oranges ", explains the French researcher. But after more detailed studies, scientists have presented other hypotheses: a "depigmentation" caused by the lack of light in these caves or the harmfulness of guano, a substance composed of bald excrement -mice in which these animals move in all their underground life.
"The urine of bats began to attack their skin and transformed their color," says Olivier Testa, spelunker and member of the scientific team.
[19659002] By mapping the caves, Oslisly, Testa and American researcher Matthew Shirley found four orange crocodiles on about 40 specimens of this species "of man caves "
Dozens of crocodiles ] with" normal "pigmentation live in adjoining caves related to the surface, says Testa, while specimens oranges live in caves that can not be
"We believe that dozens of crocodiles were installed in the caves of Abanda ago about 3 thousand years, which corresponds explains Shirley
The crocodiles orange were probably trapped in the cave. "after entering the hallways when they were little" and not to be able to get out of there by growing up According to Oslisly
Shirley argues, however, that crocodiles may have been installed in their cave that perhaps they are not stuck there. In total darkness, these animals survive with a particular diet. In caves there are no fish or shellfish, and they feed on bats, grasshoppers and crickets. "It's a particularly demanding environment," Shirley says.
According to the researchers, these specimens, oranges and those of normal color, belong to the group of crocodiles dwarfs ] Osteolaemus tetraspis and they are "in mutation" ". According to Shirley, the DNA of these specimens is not sufficiently different from the surface of their dwarf cousin to make a new species, but these animals have developed their own "genetic signature".
Although the crocodile Gabon Oslisly advocates that the caves of Abanda become a "fully protected sanctuary".
FM
[19659002]
Source link
