Sunderbans diary Jul-19

[Vipin Sharma]

Came across a Leucastic croc, Sunderbans, West Bengal.
Leucism, is a partial loss of pigmentation, which can make the animal have white or patchily colored skin, hair, feathers and so on, but the pigment cells in the eyes are not affected by the condition. Leucisim is often mistaken for albinism, but they are two very different conditions.In albinism the eyes becomes red.
Apparently they were born and released in wild from a croc farm inside Sunderbans maintained by FD.
Canon 5D M IV , Canon 500mm f/4 + 1.4 converter , ISO-640 , EC -1/3 , Hand held , f/8 , 1/800

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I remember seeing one smaller croc coloured like the one you have posted here. That was several years ago. I didn't know about croc farm in Sundarbans. According to forest department officials Bhitarkanika has some 12 such crocs.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Mrudul Godbole]

It stands out nicely against the dark background. The composition looks good. Thanks for sharing details on Leucism. Look forward to more from Sunderbans.

[Vipin Sharma]

Dada , I was told that there is a particular croc pair in FD farm, who produces 90% of Leucastic babies and they were released approx 15 of these juvenile in wild in 2015.


I remember seeing one smaller croc coloured like the one you have posted here. That was several years ago. I didn't know about croc farm in Sundarbans. According to forest department officials Bhitarkanika has some 12 such crocs.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

There is a salt-water crocodile breeding centre at Bhagabatpur near Bakkhali within Sundarban Biosphere Reserve set up in mid -seventies when there was apprehension that estuarine crocodile may become extinct in the Sundarbans like rhino and water buffalo. Every year about 15 babies survive in the hatchery and when they become 3 years old, they are released in rivers in batches of 20, some being tagged.
The normal colour of baby estuarine crocodile is yellow.
Kind regards,
SaktiWild