Monitor lizard gets mouth pierced bloody by catfish spines, cleverly dislodges them
A hungry monitor lizard got more than it bargained for when its meal — a catfish — pierced its jaw with its sharp spines, leaving the reptile bloodied and struggling to free itself.
The incident occurred on 27 Feb at around noon at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, where nature enthusiast Mr Anderson Ng witnessed and documented the dramatic encounter.
Source: Anderson Ng on Facebook
He told MS News that he was walking along a path in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and chanced upon the “fat lizard” with a big fish in its mouth.
It attempted to swallow the large catfish whole but ended up getting pierced.
Image courtesy of Anderson Ng
Catfish possess strong bony spines on their fins which can be used to injure attackers. These are separate from their whiskers.
As the monitor lizard clamped down, the spines stabbed deep into its jaw, lodging the fish firmly in its mouth.
Source: Anderson Ng on Facebook
Monitor lizard’s meal turns into bloody ordeal
With the fish’s spines embedded in its flesh, the lizard found itself in a painful predicament. Blood dripped from its mouth, though Mr Ng believed the bleeding came from both the catfish and the lizard’s wounds.
He told MS News that the spines penetrated deep into the lizard’s jaw.
Unable to eat it, the monitor lizard attempted to dislodge the catfish but ran into some problem.
According to Mr Ng, the catfish was wedged so far forward in its mouth that its front legs couldn’t reach it, leaving the reptile awkwardly holding the fish with no way to remove it.
Source: Anderson Ng on Facebook
Lizard uses railing to dislodge stuck fish
Realizing brute force alone wouldn’t work, the lizard devised a clever solution. It turned towards a nearby railing and pressed the catfish against it, bending the fish’s body in an attempt to dislodge it.
Source: Anderson Ng on Facebook
With the adjusted angle, the lizard was finally able to grab the fish with its front legs and “brutally forced it out of its jaws,” Mr Ng said.
“It got hurt for sure,” he added, showing photos of the bloodied lizard and catfish.
Image courtesy of Anderson Ng
Mr Ng told MS News that the monitor lizard appeared “angry yet relieved” and started tearing into the fish.
However, it cleverly broke the spines first by pressing them against the ground and twisting the fish’s body.
Image courtesy of Anderson Ng
“[I’m] quite amazed with how smart the lizard was, and I believe it was alright.”
After the painful mistake, the monitor lizard ripped the catfish apart before swallowing it successfully.
Image courtesy of Anderson Ng
Also read: Giant monitor lizard feasts on crabs at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
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Featured image adapted from Anderson Ng on Facebook and courtesy of Anderson Ng.
