@article{fdi:010071410,
  title = {{D}iet and body condition of cave-dwelling dwarf crocodiles ({O}steolaemus tetraspis, {C}ope 1861) in {G}abon},
  author = {{S}hirley, {M}. {H}. and {B}urtner, {B}. and {O}slisly, {R}ichard and {S}ebag, {D}avid and {T}esta, {O}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}e present the first ever observations of dwarf crocodiles ({O}steolaemus tetraspis) selectively utilizing a cave ecosystem. {W}e analysed crocodile diet to preliminarily assess the degree of ecological isolation of cave-dwelling crocodiles from their forest-dwelling conspecifics despite their physical proximity. {W}e additionally conducted the first study of body condition of dwarf crocodiles and compared cave-dwelling individuals to surface-dwelling individuals from a variety of alternative habitats and sites as a means to better understand the implications of a semihypogean life on this species. {C}rocodiles captured in the caves appeared to forage exclusively in the caves and ate mostly cave crickets and bats, whereas crocodiles captured in the surrounding forest habitat consumed primarily freshwater crustaceans and insects and were not found to consume cave-dwelling prey. {J}uvenile cave crocodiles had significantly higher body condition compared to juvenile forest crocodiles, which did not vary amongst forest locations. {T}he difference in body condition between adult cave and forest crocodiles was not statistically significant despite also being higher; we suspect this is an artefact of the low sample size rather than a real nondifference. {F}orest adult crocodiles generally had significantly higher body condition than juveniles, but did not vary by site or habitat. {T}his lack of variation suggests that habitat type is not the most important factor influencing dwarf crocodile body condition. {O}ur results provide a unique insight into facultative cave use by a principally surface-dwelling species and reinforce the necessity for further research into this unique system to better understand the evolutionary-scale implications of cave habitat use by dwarf crocodiles.},
  keywords = {cavernicole adaptation ; facultative cave use ; {F}ulton's {K} ; {GABON}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}frican {J}ournal of {E}cology},
  volume = {55},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {411--422},
  ISSN = {0141-6707},
  year = {2017},
  DOI = {10.1111/aje.12365},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010071410},
}