Clever crocs

Animals at Cheshire's Blue Planet Aquarium can recognise their names and anticipate food

The crocodiles, named Paleo and Suchus, have been taught to recognise when a keeper calls their names and are now learning when to open their mouths for food, if staff claims are to be believed.

As part of their training, the crocodiles are given food as a prize if they react in the right way. This type of training has worked with mammals before but hardly ever with reptiles according to staff at the centre in Ellesmere Port, Merseyside

"They are very intelligent and started responding to their names in just a few days," said Tom Cornwall, Blue Planet Aquarium's ranger and exhibits manager.

"As well as enabling us to approach them and inspect and treat any potential health issues it will also allow us to set up tasks and foraging exercises for them to mimic the types of behaviour they would have to use in the wild,” he added.

The training takes its idea from a similar scheme run at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in India, the first crocodile breeding centre in Asia.

The aquarium's zoological team hope that they can set up "enrichment activities" for the pair once they're fully trained. Those expecting to see giant 20ft crocodiles jumping to attention, however, may be disappointed: Paleo and Suchus are members of the Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman species, the smallest crocodilian on the planet. They can be between 3.9 - 4.9 ft in length and only weigh up to 7kilos.  Found in freshwater habitats in South America they feed mainly on fish, small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates.