CLIMBING CROCS AGAIN

[darren.naish@port.ac.uk]

Of course, I unhesitatingly accept what Britton writes about supposed 
cases, or lack of, of arboreal habits in crocs. However, I think it 
should be pointed out that none of the citations concern the scaling 
of bare and/or vertical trunks by crocodiles: rather, the animals 
were apparently clambering about on the gently sloping trunks of 
trees that had branches. Certainly nothing like what arboreal 
monitors can achieve. 

I can tell you that I have definitely seen footage of a baby Nile 
croc in a tree. The tree was gently sloping to the right and did have 
branches interspersed along its length. The croc (a near-hatchling 
size baby) was pictured sunning itself on a long horizontal branch.

The problem with all of this and all the other cases cited _is_ that 
it is all anecdotal or apocryphal (as are cases of bipedality in 
crocs incidentally), and conspicuously absent are reliable accounts 
from croc field biologists themselves. 

Therefore, that juvenile crocodiles can and do climb is an unverified 
assertion presently based on anecdotal evidence.

Boycott Holtz, the evil devourer of anurans:)

DARREN NAISH
darren.naish@port.ac.uk