What is this Copper Alligator Supposed to Do? Mystery Item

Hi,
I've recently acquired this alligator / crocodile but I don't know what it is supposed to do. It's made of copper or copper plated metal, has glass eyes and a hinged tail. You can press down on the tail and I think that it should maybe eject something out of the hole in the mouth. The underside has two valves of some sort and is stamped in white IPM. It measures 7" in length. I was thinking maybe ink? I can't find anything else like it by searching the net.
Does anyone have any clue?

 

It looks like a cigarette lighter to me

 

The yellow circled bit, is used to refill it with:

and I think the red circled bit is used to get a bigger or smaller flame

 

If you push or pull the tail down or up, it should spark. If it doesn't, it needs a flint.

 

I have the lion version

(unable to take a better pic, with a complete image of the lion, as a stack of boxes is blocking the glass door of the cabinet )

And I have a Godzilla and a locomotive lighter of the same type of material/colour. I think mine (and presumably yours as well) date from the late 80s/early 90s.

 

Thanks, everyone. That didn't occur to me, but it makes a lot of sense!

Where would the flint go?

 

it's most likely Peizo ignition.... no flint

 

it's most likely Piezo ignition.... no peizo

 

Interesting! I'll have to look that up. I've never heard of that

 

Thanks Komo...I'm an old geezer

 

auto correct strikes again.....

 

from the days when I collected lighters........ no big thing..!

 

Crap - Now I want one!

 

Google Lens shows one on a Dutch marketplace site, but it's no longer there. The seller still has many other lighters of the same type, but the gator is gone ...
One of the lighters that are still available, is locomotive identical to mine

 

HA! He also has a dinosaur/Godzilla like mine

With this one, you have to pull the left arm down to get the flame.

If I remember it well, the lion and the dino, are torch lighters, and I assume the same applies to the gator lighter. (and probably the same with the locomotive, but I'm getting old, and can't remember what type of lighter this was..)

 

it's not a wick lighter..... I tell ya what !!!

 

I think I have one of those as well No idea where