A monitor lizard was found with its jaws widened, chomping down on a turtle at Tampines Eco Green.
Sensing the presence of a bystander, it aggressively swung its tail, prompting the onlooker to leave it alone.
Marcus told MS News that the incident happened on 15 Oct at around 8am.
He caught sight of the monitor lizard near the Turtle Pond while bird-spotting.
Upon closer examination, Marcus realised the monitor lizard had its jaws wide open, biting onto the turtle’s shell.
Source: Marcus Cai on Facebook
In a video captured by Marcus, the reptile could be seen dragging the turtle across the ground, even clawing at it at times.
Source: Marcus Cai on Facebook
The turtle seemed to have retracted into its shell, although it is uncertain if it was still alive at the time.
Marcus said that he was observing the reptile from about three metres away.
“I wasn’t sure how it would manage, as the turtle’s shell looked too hard to break and too large to swallow whole,” said Marcus, who added that the monitor lizard did not notice him initially.
Photo courtesy of Marcus.
Minutes later, it “suddenly swung its tail forcefully”, likely because it sensed his presence.
Marcus decided to give it space.
“While I felt sorry for the turtle, I believe it’s important to let nature take its course without interference,” he said.
According to the National Parks Board (NParks), monitor lizards feed on a variety of food types, including fish, turtles, and crabs.
Equipped with strong jaws and sharp teeth to grab their prey, monitor lizards often violently shake them to break their spine or neck.
The main cause of death of their prey is the venom from glands in their jaw.
Additionally, their saliva — which contains over 50 bacteria — causes fatal infections in their prey’s bite wounds.
Photo courtesy of Marcus.
In its advisory, the NParks also noted that monitor lizards are generally shy in nature and do not attack unless provoked.
The board urges members of the public to keep their distance should they encounter monitor lizards and to leave them alone.
Also read: 10 monitor lizards eat otter carcass at Jurong Lake Gardens, netizens suggest it died beforehand
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Marcus.