Tomistoma schlegelii (M̧ller, 1838)— Non-native; Introduced.
False Gharial
Singapore records.
Tomistoma schlegeli —Sharma, 1973: 233.—L.M. Chou & Lam, 1989: 92.
Tomistoma schlegelii —K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.—K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991b: 5 (Pasir Ris canal).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 43, 151.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 151.—D.C.J. Yeo & C.S.W. Chia, 2010: 35.—Pocklington, 2019: 8.
“Baby crocodile”— Anonymous, 1991a: 2 (Pasir Ris).
Remarks. Although often rumoured to occur in Singapore, primarily through the escape or release of farmed individuals (Sharma 1973; Pocklington 2021), only one record of T. schlegelii in Singapore is known. The record is of a juvenile found in Pasir Ris canal believed to be released by animal dealers evading a check by Singapore Customs at sea on 14 May 1991 (Anonymous 1991a; Lim & Subharaj 1991). Tomistoma schlegelii occurs naturally in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo (Bezuijen et al. 2010).
LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. No specimens.
Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.
Order Testudines Batsch, 1788 (19 species)
Family Carettochelyidae Boulenger, 1887 (1 species)
Genus Carettochelys Ramsay, 1886 (1 species)