The
Australian Saltwater Crocodile can be found in the northern parts
of Australia and throughout Asia. It can swim thousands of kilometers if
it wants to. This is why it is found in all the warmer climates of Asia
and Australia. This crocodile
lives around coastal areas and in rivers.
The Saltwater Crocodile can grow up to 7 meters long. It has a large head
and lots of pointed teeth. It is the largest living reptile.
Crocodiles eat fish, turtles, birds, and other animals that come by. It is
not afraid of humans and will gladly try to have you for supper if you are
foolish enough to go near one.
Very few people actually get eaten by crocodiles (about 12 people in the
last 20 years).
The
female crocodile lays between 40 to 60 eggs in a mount shaped nest
made of mud and plants.
When the babies hatch the adult crocodile might help them get to the
water by carrying them in its mouth. |
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Fresh
Water Crocodile Fresh Water Crocodile Habitat (in red) |
The
fresh water crocodile is a reptile it has very scaly skin it is cold
blooded. The fresh water crocodile has very sharp claws for catching
prey. Crocofiles dig with their back hind legs because they are sharper
then the front claws.
Crocodiles can be grey or greenish brown , with heavily mottled flanks.
The snout on the crocodile is very smooth and long.The fresh water
Crocodile is a small to medium sized crocodile the male fresh water
crocodile reaches up to 3.m and the females grow up to 2.3m. The
crocodile gallops at approximately 18Km / h.Recently there have been up
to 30,000 to 60,000 fresh water crocodiles restricted to the Northern
Territory ranges. In Fitzroy , the Ord River and Lake Argyle there is a
total of 47,000 but this total was in 1994.The fresh water crocodile
eats crusteaceans , insects, spiders and fish. It will also take frogs,
lizards, goannas, snakes, birds, rats and bats.Sometimes it will kill
and eat wallabies and it is also known to eat the young of it's own
species. Crustaceanns and insects are it's main diet.To catch it's prey
it lies completely still and camoflaged. It usually sits among the grass
near the near the edge of the water. When the prey comes near it leaps
very fast with it's mouth wide open. The crocodile then throws back it's
head and gulps it down.The fresh water crocodile does most of it's
growing in the wet season. When there isn't much food the crocodile will
go without food for a few days and then it looses weight or even shrinks.
Fresh water
crocodiles prefer to live in freshwater rivers and water holes.Fresh
water crocodiles are commonly found in Katherine in the NT and also are
found in Queensland because of the hot weather.
Problems:The
fresh water crocodile is an endangered species because man used to hunt
them to make bags and things like that.The use of crocodile skin began
in 1983.
Solutions:Not
much conservation is needed for the fresh water crocodile but a group of
research people called the Conservation Commitee of the Northern
Territory have been doing some research. They have been doing this
program since the late 1970's. They are trying to stop the hunting of
crocodiles and finding out why the fresh water crocodile is endangered.
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