A baby crocodile (Caiman) has hatched at
Shuttleworth College and this little nipper is thought to be the
first to hatch at any college in the UK.
Students have been studying the incubation and
egg development of 14 eggs laid by mother Caiman and were thrilled
when the first baby crocodile hatched recently - and more are
incubating.
At only 14 cm long from the tip of his nose to
the end of his tail, this little snap happy croc can grow to 2 -
2.5 metres long.
The baby croc is being hand reared and cared
for by students and staff at Shuttleworth College in a specially
built “croc creche” where he will feed on small grubs until he his
able to take larger prey items.
Carl Groombridge (Animal Centre
Manager/Lecture) said:
“This has been an incredible learning
experience for our students and when the baby croc arrived there
were definitely a few crocodile tears of joy! I am proud of
the outstanding work of students and staff of the Animal Centre at
Shuttleworth College where, once again, we can be seen to be
leading the way in animal education across the country.
“It is a privilege to care for such an
incredible creature as the baby Caiman and we hope that soon he
will have brothers and sisters joining him.
“We feel that we've been given an early and
very special Christmas present!”
The Animal Centre at Shuttleworth College is
home to just about every family of species in the world and
habitats include a topical rainforest setting where the sounds of
the forest give an added dimension to the environment.
Shuttleworth College offers a range of courses
for those who want to learn more about animals, from Saturday
morning sessions for children and adults to full time courses
leading to Animal Science qualifications.
To find out
more about these courses click here