The Orange Cave Crocodile Evolving Before Our Eyes
- Feb 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 17
Studying evolution through the fossil record is one thing, but in the caves of Gabon in Central Africa, we are witnessing evolution before our lives.
Deep inside a single cave, a population of African Dwarf Crocodiles, isolated from the rest of their population, has developed orange skin, consumes only crickets and bats, and may have already started developing genetic differences from the rest of their species.
Their skin becomes discolored by the bat guano that fills the caves that they inhabit, and seem to have adapted well to a life of almost complete darkness, only leaving the caves to lay eggs. Most cave crocodiles appear to be living a good life in the cave, as they appear to be heavier on average than their counterparts.
A Living Fossil
Take a good long look at the creature to the right. This...is not a lizard. It may look like a small iguana, but the Tuatara is the last survivor of the Rhynchocephalians, an ancient order of reptiles that have been walking the earth since the time the first dinosaurs. These living fossils can live for over 60 years, have a nearly invisible third eye on the center of their head, and, despite being only around 30 inches long, are the largest reptile in New Zealand.
In the Mezozoic, relatives of the Tuatara ranged in size from a few inches to five feet long. They swam in lakes and rivers, climbed trees, and shared the earth with giants. But today, just one species continues to hold on in New Zealand's forests.
Tuataras are much more abundant on coastal islands without mammal populations as predators, especially Polynesian rats, can decimate eggs and hatchlings. They are a protected species under New Zealand's Wildlife Act, and reintroduction efforts on islands where rats had extirpated them, has begun to see success. Although they are still threatened on many islands that they inhabit, the incredible conservation efforts in New Zealand are a great reason for optimism that Tuataras will be around for generations to come.
Protecting Colorado's Pikas from Climate Change
The American Pika is an small relative of rabbits, and if you hike high enough up the mountains of Colorado, you might be lucky enough to hear their distinctive calls among boulders and crevices.
Although Pika numbers remain strong in much of their range, their populations in the Southwest are in decline.
The Colorado Pika Project is up against one of the most daunting obstacles facing alpine species...climate change. Pikas only inhabit cold, high-elevation areas above the treeline. But as the Earth warms, this area is getting smaller and smaller. The Colorado Pika Project is working hard on several innovative solutions to this problem, such as offsetting carbon in the area, and protecting grassland environments which sequester carbon in the Southwest.
They also provide opportunities for the public to take part in front-line conservation, hosting Pika patrols as well as a community conservation mobile app, where anyone can record and report Pika sightings. Climate change is complicated issue facing species like the Pika, and it will require continued collaboration and innovation from conservation organizations like the Colorado Pika Project to protect our wildlife.
Learn more about the Colorado Pika Project here.
