Locals Mourn the Death of their Giant Crocodile

A huge crocodile known as “Lolong” has died at the Philippine eco-tourism park he inhabited just eighteen months after being captured.  The Saltwater crocodile was officially declared the largest crocodile in captivity in 2011. It was measured at 6.17 metres long and it weighed more than one thousand kilogrammes, this reptile resembled a prehistoric monster, not out of place in a dinosaur movie.  The crocodile had become a significant tourist attraction and as the local mayor of the town of Bunawan, where the park was located,said:  “Lolong helped put our town on the world map”.

Saltwater Crocodile

Believed responsible for the deaths of a number of local fisherman, an extensive crocodile hunt was instigated to bring this man-eater into captivity.  The marshes of the Agusan del Sur province of the Philippines were searched and eventually this monster crocodile was caught in a trap, tempted by the carcase of a pig used as bait.  When the crocodile was captured, pictures of the huge reptile tied to a cart and surrounded by excited villagers quickly spread around the world, this part of the Philippines had found fame and fortune thanks to this apex predator.

To read an article about this reptile’s capture: Monster Crocodile Caught in the Philippines.

The crocodile, which is thought to have been at least fifty years of age, fell ill after swallowing a piece of nylon cord about three weeks ago and it had been suffering from intestinal problems but the actual cause of death has yet to be determined.  An autopsy is being carried out and the results will be published next week.  The weather had been unseasonably cold and it is thought that the crocodile could have been affected by the chilly conditions.  Whatever, the cause of death, the crocodile will leave much of the town in mourning as it had been a big tourist attraction bringing lots of visitors to Bunawan.

Monster Crocodile

The crocodile was discovered last Monday, floating upside down in its enclosure with a very bloated stomach.  A veterinarian who specialises in reptiles was called in and the crocodile was immersed in a pool of tepid water in a bid to revive it but to no avail.  Sadly, this crocodile had passed away within eighteen months of its capture.

Mayor of Bunawan, Edwin Elorde commented:

We don’t know what happened to it.  Its death is a complete mystery at the moment and I have to admit that I am really depressed.  I have come to love that crocodile, it brought fame and fortune to our town.”

A number of other Saltwater crocodiles have already been offered to the specially created eco-tourism park that was set up to house “Lolong”, however, lurking in the marshes surrounding the town there are rumoured to be even larger crocodiles still on the loose.  The eco-system in the marshland is particularly rich, providing a refuge for a number of endangered species in the Philippines as well as some very large Saltwater crocodiles.

Although not closely related to dinosaurs, the residents of the town of Bunawan came to appreciate the fact that they had their very own prehistoric monster which was in itself a significant tourist attraction.

For models and replicas of extant and extinct archosaurs: Mojo Fun Prehistoric and Extinct Models.

A pig was slaughtered in honour of the deceased reptile and offerings were made by locals to the spirit of “Lolong”.  The crocodile has had its head removed and been skinned.  The rest of the carcase was buried so that the flesh could rot quickly away allowing the bones to be exhumed at a later date and an exhibit created.  It is hoped that even in death this very large crocodile would act as symbol of the rich natural environment and help to preserve the habitat as well as encouraging eco-tourists into the province.

To read an article about the largest crocodiles in captivity: Philippine Crocodile is Declared Largest in Captivity.

The Year of the Snake

So we enter the year of the Snake according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar.  Of the twelve animals that make up the Chinese zodiac, two are reptiles, there is the Chinese dragon, the fossilised bones of long extinct dinosaurs, no doubt being identified by Chinese sages as proof of the dragon’s existence.  The second reptile of the zodiac is the snake and 2013 is the year of the snake according to the traditional Chinese calendar.

Year of the Snake

With the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology (Beijing, China) having the world’s largest collection of vertebrate fossils, it seems fitting to consider the snake, or most certainly the Order Squamata (lizards and snakes) from a palaeontology perspective at the start of the Chinese year of the snake.

Snakes are not closely related to dinosaurs, but they did evolve in the Mesozoic just like the Dinosauria.  Today, snakes and lizards are the most abundant and diverse of all the reptiles. The Squamata  represent the scaled reptiles, the bodies of these animals are covered in horny, shield-like scales.  The Order Squamata is divided into a number of Suborders, snakes are within the Suborder Serpentes.  The paucity of the known fossil record makes pinpointing the approximate evolution of the first members of the Squamata very difficult.

Fossils are known from the Middle Jurassic and as snakes evolved from lizards, the first fossils of lizard-like reptiles pre-date those of the true snakes (Serpentes).  Evidence relating to assessments of the molecular clocks of Squamata suggests that this Order may have had its origins in the Permian geological period.  However, since there has only been a handful of early snakes and ancestral snake fossils found to date, palaeontologists remain uncertain as to the phylogenetic relationship between snakes and other elements of the Squamata.

The Earliest Snakes

The earliest snakes were probably non-venomous constrictors, these probably evolved during the Late Cretaceous and with the demise of the dinosaurs at the end of this geological period, those groups of snakes that survived the mass extinction event rapidly diversified and became apex predators in a number of eco-systems.  For example, beautifully preserved snake fossils from the Messel shales (near to Frankfurt, Germany), dating from the early Tertiary show that a number of snake species hunted in the tropical forests of this part of the world.  Palaeopython was one of the largest species with some specimens measuring up to two metres in length.

Titanoboa

The largest snake known from the fossil record is Titanoboa (T. cerrejonensis).  Fossils found in a Columbian coal mine and described in 2009 indicate a giant constrictor which may have measured more than fifteen metres in length and it would have had a body as thick as an oil drum.

To read an article on the discovery of Titanoboa: Titanoboa – Giant Snake of the Palaeocene.

The Rebor Titanoboa Museum Class Maquette Brian Diccus.

There have been a number of Cenozoic snake fossils found in China.  People born in the year of the snake in traditional Chinese culture are supposed to take on some characteristics of these reptiles.  Custom states that these people are not outwardly emotional and tend to value their privacy.  They are cunning, meticulous but not good communicators.  However, people born in the year of the snake are believed to be dedicated, goal orientated and good at working alone.  Some almanacs state that people born in the year of the snake make good scientists, even palaeontologists.

Rebor have introduced a museum class maquette of a Titanoboa swallowing prey. To view this stunning figure and the rest of the models in the Rebor range: Rebor Models and Figures.

Happy Chinese New Year.