Tree crocodile
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Varanus salvadorii, New Guinea tree crocodile monitor

This is a juvenile tree crocodile monitor, about 26 inches overall.


The skull of Varanus salvadorii taken from an adult. The skull measures 20 cm/8 inches. Most notable are the unique teeth, seen nowhere else among monitors. The upper and lower teeth fit neatly between each other when the mouth closes, making the mouth a shearing device of incredible power. Like Tyrannosaurus, the tree crocodile has teeth that form a crescent, the largest at mid-jaw. Drawing by Dr. R. G. Sprackland.