Is That A Baby Crocodile Or A Baby Monitor Lizard? Here’s How You Tell Them Apart

A woman in Melaka thought she was bitten by a baby monitor lizard but it turned out to be a baby crocodile.

(Credit: APM / Facebook, @amyrylisrose / Twitter)

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Recently, a local woman in Melaka faced a jumpscare moment after a small baby crocodile bit her leg in her house on 1 October.

As reported by Malaysia Gazette, Faridah Abdul Ghani, 65, was shocked after her left leg was bitten by a small crocodile in her house at Kampung Balik Batu, Tanjung Bidara, Masjid Tanah at around 6 am.

At around 6 in the morning, I was stepping out of the house when I suddenly felt something biting my left leg.

At first, I thought it was a monitor lizard, and I immediately called my son.

It was only then that we realized it was a crocodile, approximately 30 centimeters long.
Faridah Abdul Ghani, Victim

Her son then trapped the little fella with a dishcover before contacting the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) for further assistance.

She further said that she’s seen crocodiles swimming in the waters of Tanjung Bidara before because her house is close to the sea. However, this is the first time a crocodile has made its way into the house.

The crocodile was belived to have strayed from its natural habitat and was handed over to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) by the APM officers.

Ku sangka digigit biawak, rupanya anak buaya

Alor Gajah: "Mak cik baru melangkah keluar pintu rumah sebelum terkejut apabila terasa ada 'benda' menggigit kaki kiri."

Begitu kata Faridah Abd Ghani, 65, mengenai kemunculan anak buaya di rumahnya di Kampung Balik Batu, Tanjung… pic.twitter.com/Ve8TX0ZRqC
— MYNEWSHUB (@mynewshub) October 1, 2023

Baby Monitor Lizard Vs Baby crocodile

This ultimately shows that most people are confused with the differences between a baby crocodile and a baby monitor lizard.

They almost look the same but they’re definitely different once they’ve grown.

The right ones are baby monitor lizards while the left ones are baby crocodiles.
(Credit: VOA Indonesia, @sffeaaa_ / Twitter, Bernama, @IzzyKass / Twitter)

Here are a few characteristics to tell them apart.

Baby Crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus)	Baby Monitor Lizard (Varanus Salvator)
Shorter tail with upward spikes	Very long smooth tail
Don’t flick their tongues	Flick their tongues
Longer thinner snout	Shorter snout
Always show off its sharp teeth	Teeth are hardly seen
Black spots on their body	Yellow spots on their body

Can you tell which one is which?
(Credit: natureismetal / Reddit )

Just a bonus info, baby monitor lizards are the ones usually scaring your butt off as they often travel through the pipes and yes, come out from your toilets.

Baby crocodiles are known to travel through drains too but so far, there has been no news about it attacking someone’s butt in the toilet.

Here are a few more pictures to keep you squirming and twitching. For the sake of education. 👀

These are monitor lizards. The babies tend to get into lots of trouble in Malaysian households while the adults are usually seen on roads, dead…
(Credit: @mynewshub / Twitter, @kmhlvs / Twitter, APM / Facebook)

Now these are our Malaysian saltwater crocodiles. They often get lost in drains and small rivers. Wherever there are a few babies in the wild, there’s usually the mother somewhere lurking around.
(Credit: APM / Facebook)

Well, now you know how these two similar reptiles look like. Another common trait between these four-legged, scaly-skinned creatures is that they are both dangerous, even as babies, and particularly when they grow into adults.