Reptile & Amphibian Forums

To all out there,

I have a 3 foot female Fresh Water Crocodile, extremely heathly and lively.

I have had her for about 4 years now, at any rate here the question. I looked in a number of books and have spoken to a few other keepers of the species but the anatomical drawings i had where not detailed enough and the other croc keepers had not noticed them before.

They are a pair (one of each side) of small about 5mm long slits of the underside of at the rear of the bottom jaw. Out of the slits everts a small black (I use the term "pore" for lack of a better term) pore. These can be everted independantly of each other and the distance they evert is also variable.

They only seem to be everted whilst basking and are retracted when I have picked her up so unfortunatly a photograph has not yet been possible.

I would like to know what they are and their function (if known).

Regards,

Scott Eipper

Are you sure they arent their musk glands?
Those can be everted from the around the jawline.

>>To all out there,
>>
>>I have a 3 foot female Fresh Water Crocodile, extremely heathly and lively.
>>
>>I have had her for about 4 years now, at any rate here the question. I looked in a number of books and have spoken to a few other keepers of the species but the anatomical drawings i had where not detailed enough and the other croc keepers had not noticed them before.
>>
>>They are a pair (one of each side) of small about 5mm long slits of the underside of at the rear of the bottom jaw. Out of the slits everts a small black (I use the term "pore" for lack of a better term) pore. These can be everted independantly of each other and the distance they evert is also variable.
>>
>>They only seem to be everted whilst basking and are retracted when I have picked her up so unfortunatly a photograph has not yet been possible.
>>
>>I would like to know what they are and their function (if known).
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Scott Eipper

n/m

Hi,
I have had this same question at one time. The answer I received ( not from this forum ) was that the part described was a sensory organ. This was varified through a researcher posing the same question. Younger crocodilians use this organ as a way to "feel" vibrations in the water...or simply put, a way to detect potential prey. As crocdilians mature...their reliance is greatly reduced on this form of hunting technique. It seems the youngsters use this...not the adults. I hope this helped shed some light for you.

I don't think that they are pressure sensors as they only seem to everted whilst basking not while underwater.

Regards,

Scott

Hi again,
I understand what you mean that he/she everts those receptors only when basking. My answer was just about the part of the crocodilian you described, which is what those receptors are used for in younger animals. They use them when they are on the surface of a body of water to detect movement on the waters surface. Why yours everts them when basking is kind of strange. Oh well, its nothing bad at least.