They may not be the obvious choice for centre-stage in a bonny baby event!
There’s no denying the cuteness of the five baby crocodiles newly arrived at Weymouth Sea Life Park however.
They are a litter of Cuvier’s dwarf caimans from a breeding programme at the famous Gerald Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at Jersey Zoo.
And they make their debut in a specially prepared nursery tank in the Park’s Rainforest exhibit this Friday, May 28th, just in time for a special Sea Life Baby Week.
“We’re in the midst of a real baby boom,” said displays supervisor Fiona Smith.
“We’ve a pair of penguins nurturing a young chick, baby seahorses, (even though they can be hard to spot), 2 baby Leafy Sea dragons, a baby Undulate ray, and several baby Bamboo and Port Jackson sharks.”
“The baby croc’s are the undoubted stars, though,” she added. “They look cute enough to cuddle and we’re having a job remembering that any one of them could take your fingers off in seconds.”
The Sea Life Park has developed a special holiday quiz trail so that younger visitors can have fun learning more about the different baby creatures on display.
The smallest of all crocodiles with a maximum length of around five feet, Cuvier’s dwarf caimans are native to South America, where they prey on mainly invertebrates like crabs and shellfish.
SEA LIFE’s little critters are about the size of a babies milk bottle, measuring in at a tiny 7 inches long.
Their new home is a large heated glass display tank at the heart of the Rainforest exhibition, with panoramic views of all the other residents.