NORFOLK, Va. — Two Tomistoma crocodiles have hatched from a clutch of eggs at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, the aquarium shared Wednesdsay.
The crocodiles hatched on Sept. 1 after mom, Sommer, laid a clutch of eggs in May.
The hatchlings are about a foot long now, and are expected to double in size within a year.
For that time, the hatchlings will stay behind the scenes at the aquarium while their health is closely monitored by the aquarium's veterinary and animal care teams.
Parents, Sommer and Ralph, are doing well and are still on exhibit at the aquarium, the spokesperson said.
This marks the first successful Tomistoma crocodile birth at the Aquarium even though Sommer, a 16-year-old crocodile, laid eggs in 2019 and 2020.
Tomistoma Crocodiles are a freshwater crocodile species native to Malaysia and Indonesia. Tomistoma Crocodiles are at risk of extinction, the spokesperson said.
Because they are endangered, the birth of the crocodiles marks an important milestone for the Virginia Aquarium and the Tomistoma Species Survival Plan, an Association of Zoos and Aquariums conservation program.
