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CROCODOPOLIS world of crocodilians TM SCIENCE · CULTURE · INDUSTRY · NEWS · COMMUNICATION · CONSERVATION
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FEATURES
profiles
February 8, 2007
Ralf Sommerlad,
Der Krokodilfachmann (continued)
MOST
SEXIEST. “I’m just having a nice discussion with Rom Whitaker about which crocodilian is the most sexiest.” Whitaker, a fellow croc specialist, is well known for his work in India with crocodiles, especially the breeding, husbandry and conservation of the rare Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus). “And Rom said, “Of course, it is the gharial.” And I said, “No, the most sexiest is the Tomistoma.” Grahame Webb named Tomistoma the most elegant of all crocodiles, and he’s right.” The
Malayan Gharial, often referred to as the Tomistoma (after its genus,
being the sole species of it),
could be described as unique to the order of crocodylia. As one of the
largest species, its morphology is a rich, multi-color-toned balance of
bulk
and aqua dynamic elegance; its scalation of bold lines of symmetry and
sharp, curved keels simultaneously evoke both the Renaissance and
Jules Verne. And its distinctive snout, not as severely narrow as the Indian Gharial’s, gracefully terminates
to the tip, just a touch of
perfect reptilian menace in its teeth. Sommerlad’s
attraction to the species transcended aesthetics, though. “Tomistoma
is so different,” he added. “The behavior is so different to any
other crocodilian, so they are very, very special.” The animal is
enigmatic, an excellent hider in the murky streams, where it stalks
overhanging branches for monkeys, among other prey animals. What are the
other preys? He and other specialists aren’t sure, as the animal’s
secretive nature and the lack of funding for research have limited the
biological record. “I
got very interested in Tomistoma very early and it was hard to find
something out because nothing had been published...and we
are still on a low level of knowledge. We learned a lot during the last
few years during concentrated after concentrated surveys on Tomistoma,
so we know some of the preferred habitats, we know why they are there,
and stuff like this…there is so much to learn.“ In
2002 he attended his first meeting of the CSG in Gainesville, Florida,
where Webb invited him to join the organization. While
socializing with colleagues at 4:00 am after the day’s formal proceedings, Sommerlad decided to take the initiative and strike while
the iron was hot, offering himself as an official advocate to the Tomistoma. His
colleague, Shwedick, remembered the moment his
colleague stepped forward to Webb: “Grahame, what about Tomistoma?”
Minutes later, the Tomistoma Task Force (TTF) was born. “Ralf was obviously keen, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about crocs in general, and was very keen about the CSG becoming more active with Tomistoma,” Webb recounted. “It looked to me that he was the sort of person who could help the CSG achieve its goals, both internally in terms of the CSG’s management of its members, and externally in terms of improving the conservation and management of crocodilians. In a voluntary group such as the CSG it is important that members have the social skills to make collaborations work. Ralf has loads of them! “The
CSG had never really set up task forces before and so the TTF was
something new...So when it started, I chaired the group. It soon became
apparent that Ralf was a great driving force behind the TTF and for the
last 2 years he has been a great chairman.” “We
got a group together in a few hours,” explained Sommerlad, “very
experienced people containing a lot of knowledge from all around the
world, which is wonderful. And this is a small group because we don’t
want a group as big as a battleship. We want to react very quick…I’m
very proud of this group.” Sommerlad
explains some of what the force has accomplished so far: “TTF was able
to find details about the status of Tomistoma in Central Kalimantan and
West Kalimantan, and especially in Sumatra [all in Indonesia]. We also
found that Tomistoma is endangered in all of these places because of the
rapid habitat loss and all we could do in the meantime because of the
lack of money have been status surveys.
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Adult Malayan Gharials (Tomistoma schlegelii). (Photo: R. Sommerlad.)
Sommerlad and Webb. (Photo: Courtesy of R. Sommerlad.)
Crocodilian specialists at the Tomistoma Task Force meeting in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, 2004. (Photo: Courtesy of Tomistoma Task Force.) |
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