Saltwater Crocodile

August 30, 2016
“The ocean chills our
bones as it stifles our
breathing.”
SEA CREATURE
FACT OF THE WEEK
-Stephen & Anthony Palumbi,
The Extreme Life of the Sea
SALTWATER CROCODILE
Also known as the Marine Crocodile, Estuarine Crocodile or, more affectionately, “Saltie,” the
Saltwater Crocodile is the largest living reptile species on the planet.
Saltwater Crocodiles are found in northern
Australia, southeast Asia and on many
Pacific islands. Adult males (which are larger
than females) can reach 6-7 m (20-23 ft) in
length. Little information is available on the
lifespan of Salties in the wild, but they have
lived up to 42 years in captivity. Although
they spend most of their lives in estuarine or
salt water, these Crocs breed along the
banks of rivers.
Despite a rather ferocious appearance,
female SCs tenderly care for their young.
Mothers will lay between 40-60 (sometimes
up to 90) eggs, burying them in a nest in the
ground, and remain nearby to protect them
LET’S COUNT TEETH…
Adult Saltwater Crocs typically have
between 64 and 68 teeth. They are fierce
predators and can usually kill prey with a
single snap of their heavy jaws.
from predators for 90 days while they
incubate. When an expecting SC can hear
her hatchlings “chirping” after emerging
from their eggs underground, she will dig
them up, put them in her mouth and carry
them to the river, where she’ll care for them
until they learn to swim.
“TOUGHIES” NEED LOVE TOO
Though globally considered of “Least
Concern” by the IUCN, local populations of
Saltwater Crocs have dwindled in many
places where they were once abundant
due to habitat loss and overhunting for their
hides. Many of these sub-populations are
listed as Endangered or Threatened, and
most require more protection.