juvenile estuarine croc @ SBWR 26June2011

Whilst walking towards Platform 1, a visitor mentioned that there was a small croc around Platform 1. Knowing that many many visitors mistake the ubiquitous malayan water monitors for crocodiles (and even komodo dragons), I wondered if the right ID had been made and looked out for the 'croc' when I got to the Platform. Despite a good effort at looking, I did not spot any notable reptile. I then occupied myself with looking at some raptors in the sky above and also keeping a lookout for the also ubiquitous poachers who had earlier kayaked their way to Pulau Buloh.

Robert H was out for a walk and very quickly spotted the juvenile croc at the water's edge near the row of wooden stakes facing Johor. I had missed the obvious. It was about a metre long and had a nice mottled yellow sand-black coloration. After basking for a few moments, it suddenly hurriedly scampered into the shallow water beyond the stakes. This was in response to a malayan water monitor which was approaching. Although the water monitor was slightly larger than the juvenile crocodile, the croc had decided not to risk an encounter with it and moved off out of the way into the water beyond the stakes instead. Once the water monitor had passed and moved a little further along, the crocodile moved back across the gap in the stakes to its previous position. (The crocs at SBWR are known to feast on the water monitors. Perhaps this one would one day make a meal out of the same water monitor).

extended vid clip(w a passing lizard & music):

Interestingly enough, crocs do blink occasionally and sometimes also pant (both with and without their mouths closed). It's throat could be observed moving more rapidly at times as if it were hyperventilating. Another point to note is that the rear feet of the croc were noticeably webbed. I wonder if the same were for the larger adult crocs (or does the 'webbing' get absorbed over time as the crocs get older).

This juvenile croc was lucky to have escaped the battery of driftnets which are usually set up by poachers within or just outside the SBWR area. There is a previous recent record of another crocodile which had gotten entangled in a fishnet and drowned. Click here to read about that.

(There was also some brief info from another frequent visitor that some photographers had seen a large heron trapped in a driftnet and which had drowned in the waters near Platform 1 just the week before. Will try to find out more about this.)

Another visitor that morning has also seen the crocodile and put up a blogpost ;
http://lifes-indulgences.blogspot.com/2011/06/small-croc-at-sbwr.html


Read more about the Estuarine Crocodile here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/reptilia/porosus.htm

and a recent encounter where a much larger croc at SBWR made a quick meal out of a large water monitor! :
http://budak.blogs.com/the_annotated_budak/2011/01/a-lizards-last-moments.html
http://sgn090608.blogspot.com/2011/01/110115-sungei-buloh.html


How do you distinguish between a water monitor and a crocodile?
http://www.sbwr.org.sg/wetlands/text/06-133-1.htm