Hey! You are looking at one of the most dangerous animals in the world. We are the Saltwater Crocodiles. Notably, we are large Apex predators that even other apex predators that live in our habitat fear of.
Have a look at few things about us:
- We are the largest reptiles in the world. Lolong is the largest one of us ever measured. He was found in Bunawan creek of the Philippines and is now dead. He was 6.17m long and weighed 1075 kg.
- We are well-known for our quick hunting skills. We are very fast in catching the prey and killing it. We are known for our hunting behavior called “death roll” which means, when we catch a prey, we roll rapidly on the ground to tear the limbs instead of biting and tearing the flesh.
- Many animals might be afraid of sharks, we are not! In fact, we kill and feed on them.
- We hold a record of having the strongest bite force. A 4.59m long saltwater crocodile has set a record of having a bite force value of 16,414 N.
- We are very powerful swimmers. We can swim at 15kmph-20kmph which is three times as fast as humans.
- Do you know? We are adapted so well to the saltwater that we can live up to weeks in the water and can travel hundreds of kilometers in Seas. We got our name “sea-going crocodiles’ because of this.
- There is a statement that has been passed on for many years in Australia that we can sleep with one eye opened. That is actually true. We look out for prey and any possible predators even while sleeping.
- We can be seen in Wondjina, the mythology of Indigenous Australians in which we were considered to be full of evil spirits and this is the reason we are found in Saltwater, unlike other crocodiles.
- In Timor island, we are considered holy and in Papua New Guinea, traditionally we are used to describing a relative (usually a father or a grandfather).
SOME QUICK FACTS:
Our Scientific Name: Crocodylus Porosus.
Identification: Large pale-yellow crocodiles with leaner body and very long and big snout compared to other crocodiles.
Our Habitat: Coastal areas and seas in our range; sometimes in freshwater rivers.
Our Range:
Our Food Habits: Carnivorous; feed on wide variety of animals available in our range and habitat.
Our Breeding Period: September and October.
Number of eggs laid: 40-60 eggs.
Our Incubation period: about 80 days.
Our Lifespan: about 70 years.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Appendix I in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, Appendix II in remaining range.
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Not listed.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Crocodylidae
Genus: Crocodylus
Species: C.Porosus
COMPLETE DETAILS FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are also called as Estuarine Crocodiles, Indo-pacific Crocodiles, Marine Crocodiles, Sea Crocodiles and also Saltie. We are scientifically called as Crocodylus Porosus.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are long pale-yellow colored crocodiles with lean body and long and big shout. We have a very scary tough skin. We have a distinct pair of ridges that run along the eye from the centre of the shout which makes us look intimidating.
Males of our species can grow to a length of 6m. And some specimens can grow as long as 7m. Females usually grow less than male. Females grow up to 3m. Males weigh 240kg to 350kg while females weigh 100kg-120kg.
Males are 4-5 times larger than females. Males and female look alike except for the size. Young ones of our species have large eyes and similar bodies to an adult. They are very small at birth (only about 30cm in length and 1 kg weight) and grow very huge eventually.
The main difference between the normal crocodile and us is our tendency to occupy saltwater. Although other crocodiles have salt glands, in extreme weather conditions only we are able to live in saltwater. We also differ from Muggers in having longer shouts and leaner bodies.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
Our preferred habitat is coastal areas, seas and sometimes freshwater rivers.
We are one of the three types of crocodiles found in India. Mainly in Odisha, and also found in the border portions of the Bangladesh and India.
Because of the abilities to move from place to another place, we are also found a far place from our general range. We like to travel to see places and oceans. We are also found in far Countries like Australia and many coastal areas of Southeast Asia.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are strictly carnivorous. Due to our ability to stay long periods of time eating very little, there is no exact loving food for us. And our diet changes from place to place and availability of prey.
Young ones of our species mostly eat frogs, fishes and insects. Adults of our species feed on various types of fish (even sharks) and any animal that comes to our proximity.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
Our breeding season is in September and October. This can change if the weather conditions vary. Hierarchy is present and the male which is largest dominates. Females of our species mate mostly with dominant male.
They lay 40-60 eggs at a time in sand and cover them various vegetation. Incubation period is around 80 days and when hatchlings come out, they are taken to the seashore by the mother.
Hatchlings often fight with one another for food and they are prone to various threats. Only 1% of hatchlings survive adulthood. These young ones are taken care of extremely by the female and also a little by the male.
The young disperse from parents after 8 months. They reach sexual maturity after 10 years. Our estimated lifespan is 70 years and some of us can even live up to 100 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are well-known for our quick hunting skills. We are known for our hunting behaviour called “death roll” which means, when we catch a prey, we roll rapidly on the ground to tear the limbs instead of biting and tearing the flesh.
We are very powerful swimmers. We can swim at 15kmph-20kmph which is three times as fast as humans.
We are adapted so well to the saltwater that we can live up to weeks in the water and can travel hundreds of kilometres in Seas. We got our name “sea going crocodiles’ because of this. We hold a record of having strongest bite force.
OUR CONSERVATION:
Though we face threats like habitat destruction, loss of our food source, hunting for our meat and eggs, we survive quite well. We are listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN.
In Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea we are listed in CITES Appendix I and in remaining range we are listed in CITES Appendix II. Our apex predation skills and our adaptability along with conservation efforts help us maintaining our population.
