A parcel with a bizarre baby crocodile skeleton packed inside has been seized by customs officials in Germany.

The tiny croc, measuring just 25 centimetres (9.8 inches) nose to tail, was discovered by the Mannheim Customs Office in the city of Ludwigshafen, Germany, in a package sent from Russia.

It was originally posed in a baffling, upright dinosaur-style stance and the recipient in Ludwigshafen tried to pass it off as a plastic toy sent by a friend.

However, officials from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) confirmed it was real, an endangered protected species under local law.

Live animals, skins or any body parts can only be imported with a strict licence, which the recipient did not possess, so the skeleton was confiscated, reports local media.

Karlsruhe Main Customs Office spokesperson Anne Deubel said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “Trade in protected animal and plant species is subject to strict regulations.

“It is important to find out about the applicable regulations before ordering from abroad and, if necessary, to obtain an import permit.

“Illegal trade in protected animals and plants is not only a criminal offense but also endangers the conservation of these endangered species.”