In the city of Geelong, near Melbourne, a crocodile has left his owner baffled by turning himself orange.
The crocodile, named Snappy, underwent a transformation to orange over several days, prompting concern from his owner, Tracy Sandstrom, about his health.
Tracy, who operates a mobile reptile display called Roaming Reptiles, expressed her initial fears regarding Snappy’s color change: ‘I thought he was really sick. I thought he was dying.’
However, Tracy’s worries were alleviated upon learning that Snappy was in perfect health and that the change in color resulted from him chewing on the water filter in his heated tank.
After causing damage to the filter, the crocodile became affected by red algae that had entered the water due to fallen leaves, which are usually kept out by the filter.
Experts in reptiles believe Snappy will eventually revert to his usual green-brown shade, but his owner acknowledges that his orange appearance has turned him into a bit of a celebrity.
She remarked: ‘It’s a collector’s item now. Everyone will want one. I should have put him on eBay.’
‘His behavior, aggression, and territoriality remain unchanged. He’s still a really nasty crocodile.’
