The saltwater crocodile gets its name from the distinctive ridges near its eyes. With age, these ridges stand out more and more noticeably, and in older individuals the entire muzzle is covered with large tubercles. These mounds even gave the crocodile an international scientific name « Crocodylus porosus", from lat. porosus - “spongy.”
The frightening appearance and enormous size of this predator have struck fear into the hearts of people since ancient times. This is the largest modern reptile on the planet, and the largest crocodile. It is also one of the largest predators on Earth. Its size exceeds that of a polar bear.
Lives saltwater crocodile V warm waters Australia, Indonesia, India, Philippines. Previously found in the Seychelles and African east coast(now completely exterminated). The ability of the saltwater crocodile to swim well and far in the sea allows it to appear in the most unexpected places for humans. So, sometimes this predator is found even off the coast of Japan, where it has never lived. Outwardly clumsy and inactive, saltwater crocodiles can cover enormous distances. For long-distance travel, they use sea currents, which pick up the heavy body of the reptile and carry it hundreds of kilometers. Observations of some crocodiles (using satellite transmitters) have shown that adult males can swim almost 600 km across the sea. in 25 days.
Drifting with the current helps the crocodile save energy. Sometimes the predator stops in coastal bays and bays until it waits for the desired current. Such crocodiles, waiting for their “wave”, can remain off the coast for several days, terrifying local residents. Often crocodiles even displace local sharks from their bays. They simply cannot cope with the thick skin of the reptile, and retreat, giving the territory to a stronger predator.
The saltwater crocodile has special glands that help the animal remove excess salt from the body. Therefore, he feels great in salt water, but still most prefers to be in the warm fresh waters of mangroves and calm river lagoons. They are loners by nature. If an uninvited guest enters the crocodile’s territory, there will be a fierce fight. Crocodiles fight to the death. Often the loser loses a limb, or even dies. These are one of the most aggressive animals towards their relatives. Adult males can only tolerate the presence of several females on their territory, and even then, they can tolerate their company only during the mating period.
Being a super predator, the saltwater crocodile feeds on everything it can “reach”. The diet depends on the habitat. Reptile attacks large terrestrial mammals- bulls, buffaloes, horses, etc. In salt water it hunts large fish. There is evidence of successful shark hunting. Young crocodiles feed on other reptiles, fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. There are also cannibal crocodiles. Easily deals with other species of crocodiles - Australian and swamp.
Every year, many cases of saltwater crocodiles attacking humans are recorded. In Australia, people suffer from the teeth of a comb predator more people than from a great white shark, but fatal ends in only 1-2 cases per year (in Malaysia, more than 100 people die from crocodile attacks every year). It is believed that the reptile attacks a person not so much because of hunger, but for protective purposes - protecting its clutch of eggs or defending territory. It has been noticed that in places where people appear frequently, the crocodile’s aggressiveness is much weaker. The reptile gets used to human society and warns a person in advance about its presence with a threatening pose. But if the crocodile rarely sees a person, then it will try to attack the uninvited guest.
Most famous case attacks by saltwater crocodiles on humans occurred on February 19, 1945, when almost 1,000 soldiers Japanese army were killed in the water off Ramri Island.
« About a thousand Japanese soldiers tried to repel the attack of the Royal navy Great Britain ten miles off the coast, in mangrove swamps where thousands of crocodiles live. Twenty soldiers were later captured alive, but most were eaten by crocodiles. The hellish situation of the retreating soldiers worsened a huge amount scorpions and tropical mosquitoes, which also attacked them,” says the Guinness book. Naturalist Bruce Wright, who participated in the battle on the side of the English battalion, claimed that the crocodiles ate most of the soldiers of the Japanese detachment: “That night was the most terrible that any of the fighters had ever experienced. Scattered in the black swamp slurry, bloody, screaming Japanese, crushed in the jaws of huge reptiles, and the strange disturbing sounds of spinning crocodiles represented a cacophony of hell. I think few people could have seen such a sight on earth. At dawn the vultures flew in to clean up what the crocodiles had left...of the 1,000 Japanese soldiers who entered the Rami Swamp, only about 20 were found alive»
The bad reputation of the saltwater crocodile (sometimes justified) was the justification for uncontrolled hunting of the reptile. In some places on the planet it was completely destroyed. The crocodile is currently absent from Thailand and Sri Lanka. The number of predators in India and Vietnam is minimal. Regulated hunting since the late 1970s has prevented the reptile from being completely eradicated. Currently in wildlife There are enough crocodiles left that there is no concern for the conservation of the species, but it is still included in the International Red Book.
Man values (and pays) for crocodile skin. Fried crocodile meat is a delicacy. For these purposes, crocodiles are bred on special crocodile farms.
(Photo by SWNS)
At the end of May, the world's largest crocodile, named Cassius Clay, celebrated his 110th birthday. The gift was a huge 20-kilogram chicken cake. In 2011, one of the most famous inhabitants of northern Australia was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest reptile kept in captivity.
This giant was caught 26 years ago in the wild in Australia. He struck fear into the local residents and caused a lot of inconvenience by attacking boats. He was placed with the owner of Green Island Farm in Marineland Melanesia.
But we will start not with him, but with past record holders. For example …
Length - 6 meters, Weight - 1 ton. Photo taken in 2002 in the Republic of Burundi. This monster caused the death of more than 300 people.
The crocodile in the photo was shot by Steve Curl after numerous complaints from local residents.
But the largest saltwater crocodile in the world at that time was caught in the Philippines. Its length was 6400 mm and its weight was more than 1000 kg. It is almost a meter higher than its relative from the Guinness Book of Records!
The crocodile was captured in September 2011 during a three-week hunt opened after authorities suspected the giant reptile was attacking local residents. At least one person became his victim, another is listed as missing. It took about a hundred people to pull the crocodile out of the water.
For more than half a month, residents of the town of Bunawan tried to catch the discovered giant crocodile. Repeatedly, the entire bait of dog meat and pig meat was eaten by a colossal crocodile and freely left the prepared trap. But then, a whole squad of thirty hunters managed to throw nets on him and wrap the crocodile with a metal cable.
Then this giant reptile became the main attraction of the town of Bunawan. A special water park with an area of 150 square meters was built for him. meters.
Scientists estimate that this specimen is approximately 50 years old. He can easily take first place in the Book of Records, because now the leader is a crocodile with a length of only 5480 mm.
Residents of the town of Bunawan will now be able to sleep peacefully. Because before this, the crested crocodile ate domestic animals, and in addition, there are suspicions that it devoured the peasant who disappeared in July.
As Cox Edwin Elord, burgomaster of Bunawan, stated: “The shooting of this crocodile was not even discussed. We specifically hunted for him. To show it to ecotourists.”
I would like to remind you that crocodiles living in salt water are long-livers. Their age reaches 100 years. But, they are very vulnerable due to hunting for their valuable skin, especially in the Philippines.
And then in 2013, the saltwater crocodile died. The mayor of Bunawan, Edwin Cox Elord, said that the cause of death could have been unusually cold weather for the region.
The giant became a landmark in Bunawan. “I loved this crocodile, he brought glory to our city and the Philippines,” Elord said. An eco-park was built especially for the crocodile, after which tourists began to come to the city. According to the mayor, the city earned about 3 million pesos ($72,000) from Lolong.
It is reported that there may be similar, if not larger, crocodiles in the vicinity of Bunawan, which could pose a danger to local residents and tourists.
Now let's get back to our living champion! 
The crocodile was named after the legendary boxer Cassius Clay (real name of Muhammad Ali). (Photo by SWNS):
The exact age of the crocodile is unknown, but experts estimate it to be around 110 years old. Keeper Billy Craig said crocodiles usually change their teeth and stop doing so when they become sick and old. But Cassius's teeth are fine. This means that it saves good shape and can live another 30 years. (Photo SWNS):
Interesting fact: oldest woman of the people who have ever lived on Earth, whose dates of birth and death are precisely known - Jeanne Louise Calment. She lived 122 years and 164 days.
Cassius Clay is not only the oldest, but also world's largest saltwater crocodile. Its body length is 5.48 meters and it weighs a ton. (Photo by SWNS):
In 2011, the crocodile was included in the Guinness Book of Records. True, last year Cassius briefly lost his high-profile title: his record was broken by the Philippine crocodile Lolong, whose length was as much as 6.17 meters. But the new record holder died, and Cassius again became the most large reptile. (Photo by SWNS):
At the end of May, long-living Australian giant Cassius Clay was given a 20-kilogram chicken cake for his 110th birthday. Such a gift was great even for the most large crocodile in the world.
Cassius's diet was a kilogram of chicken and fish a day, and 20 kilograms at a time seemed like a daunting task...(Photo by SWNS):
But the crocodile destroyed the “cake” in just 30 seconds. (Photo by SWNS):
Crocodiles are the oldest and most powerful predators that appeared about 250 million years ago. They live on average 80-100 years and have no natural enemies. (Photo by SWNS):
Exists ancient legend that a crocodile cries when eating its prey " crocodile tears" In fact, crocodiles “cry” not out of pity; it is a protective reaction of the body aimed at removing excess salts.
Classius Clay, May 2013. (Photo SWNS):
This 2011 video shows a caretaker measuring Cassius. To do this, the crocodile had to be lured into a small pool and forced to lie down straight.
3.1 Least Concern :
Australian narrow-snouted crocodile(lat. Crocodylus johnstoni) - a reptile of the family of true crocodiles, lives in fresh water bodies in the north of Australia. Originally named Crocodylus johnsoni, that is, Johnson's Crocodile, due to an error in the spelling of the discoverer's surname ( Robert Arthur Johnstone, -). Although the error was corrected some time later, both names appear in the literature.
Appearance
This is a relatively small species of crocodiles - males very rarely grow more than 2.5-3 m, and it takes 25-30 years to reach this size. Females are usually no more than 2.1 m. The snout is unusually narrow, with sharp teeth. The number of teeth is 68-72, there are 5 premaxillary teeth on each side of the jaw, 14-16 maxillary teeth, 15 mandibular teeth. The color is light brown with black stripes on the back and tail, the belly is lighter. The scales are quite large, round in shape on the sides and outer sides of the paws.
Lifestyle
Like all narrow-snouted crocodiles, the main diet of this species is fish. Additionally, adults may feed on amphibians, birds, small reptiles and mammals. Usually the crocodile sits and waits until the prey comes close enough, and then grabs it with a quick movement of its head. During the dry season, its activity decreases significantly due to lack of food and lower temperatures. The freshwater crocodile is considered harmless to humans. Although it can bite when threatened, its jaws are not strong enough to cause serious damage.
Population
Freshwater crocodile lives in northern regions Australia: in the states of Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Prefers fresh water bodies- rivers, lakes and swamps. In years when the numbers of its main competitor, the saltwater crocodile, decline, it is also found close to the coast, for example in river mouths. IN upper reaches rivers are inhabited by a smaller (no larger than 1.5 m) and dark variety freshwater crocodile, however, it is not believed to form a separate subspecies.
The total number of the species is relatively stable and amounts to 50-100 thousand individuals. In the 1950s and 1960s, the freshwater crocodile was hunted for its skin, but measures were soon taken to protect the species. Nowadays, crocodiles are bred on small farms for their skin. The main threat to the species is habitat loss. Since the 1970s, programs have been in place to study and monitor the abundance of freshwater crocodile.
Lifespan
A male Australian narrow-snouted crocodile named Mister Freshie claims the title of the oldest crocodile in the world. Mr Freshy), living at the Australia Zoo. His age is estimated at approximately 134 years. This crocodile allegedly lived for 100 years in the Moorhead River on Cape York Peninsula, was the dominant male, and was a sacred animal to the local Aboriginal tribe. In 1970, Bob Irwin and Steve Irwin rescued a crocodile from hunters who shot it twice, causing the crocodile to lose its right eye. After this, Mister Fresh was placed in the Australia Zoo. The Australia Zoo website lists Mr. Freshie's "date of birth" as 01/01/1875. But this date does not coincide with the timing of hatching of the offspring of the narrow-snouted crocodile in nature (egg laying from July to September in different points area, incubation period from 65 to 95 days), so the stated age of Mr. Freshy is doubtful.
Other sources estimate the maximum lifespan of the Australian narrow-snouted crocodile in captivity to be 20 years.
Notes
Links
- Australian narrow-snouted crocodile: information on the IUCN Red List website (English)
- The Reptile Database: Crocodylus johnsoni(English)
- crocodilian.com: Crocodylus johnstoni(English)
- Crocodylus johnstoni(English)
Most people answer the question - Are there saltwater crocodiles? will answer negatively. However, such an animal exists and is quite widespread. It is considered a freshwater reptile and belongs to the order of crocodiles.
Habitat
This is the most large predator of all existing on earth. Belongs to the family of true reptiles.
These animals live in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia on the island of Bali. There are still peoples who consider these reptiles their deity. Huge size, the power and mercilessness of this animal has always evoked superstitious fear in humans.
The giant predator is revered in some provinces of India. There is even a pond in Pakistan where sacred reptiles live. It can live in both salty and fresh water. Favorite places Habitats: lower reaches of rivers, ponds and swamps. Crocodiles in Australia are often found in coastal waters north coast.
Titles: Australian narrow-snouted crocodile, Johnston's crocodile, freshwater crocodile, Johnston's river crocodile (Australian freshwater crocodile).
Johnston's Australian crocodile - named after Johnson, the first European discoverer, who reported the discovery of a new species to the natural scientist Krefft. The latter is responsible for the misspelling of the researcher's name, which should have been rendered as "johnsoni". Currently, in scientific practice, both the true and erroneous Latin name of the species is used.
Area: Australian freshwater crocodiles are endemic to Australia. The range covers Northern Australia: they are found on Northern Territory, in Queensland and Western Australia.
Description: Australian freshwater crocodiles have strong feet with clawed, webbed toes. The tail is very powerful. The scales are large, on the sides and on the legs from the inside, round in shape, densely located. The crocodile's muzzle is unusually narrow and pointed in shape, bordered by a row of sharp teeth. This species catches fish easily, so this shape of the muzzle arose during evolution as an adaptation to feeding only on fish. Total 68-72 teeth, of which 5 are premaxillary, 14-16 maxillary and 15 mandibular teeth. The fourth tooth on both sides of the lower jaw is larger than the others and can be clearly visible even when the mouth is closed. The eyes have a special transparent eyelid (nictitating membrane) that protects them when the crocodile is underwater.
Color: The color is light brown with dark stripes around the body and tail, the pattern of stripes is broken on the neck. Some individuals have clearly visible light brown stripes and spots on the face. Subspecies are unknown, although lighter and darker color phases have been identified, as well as isolated dwarf individuals that reach sexual maturity at half their normal length. Freshwater crocodiles have darker colors compared to common crocodiles. Dwarf individuals reach a length of up to 1.5 m. The existence of dwarf individuals is explained by evolution during natural selection, caused by the need to obtain food in the upper reaches of rivers, where larger individuals cannot penetrate. Genetic studies of the dwarf race do not find any exceptional changes that could serve as a basis for identifying it as a separate subspecies.
Size: Australian freshwater crocodile - relatively small crocodile. The species is characterized by sexual dimorphism, which is expressed in the fact that males are slightly larger than females. Males reach a maximum length of 2.4-3 m, and females - 2.3 m. In nature, the size of males rarely exceeds 2.5-3 meters in length. Females reach sizes of 2-2.1 meters.
Weight: Males weigh up to 90 kg, and females weigh up to 45 kg.
Lifespan: Maximum lifespan is about 50 years.
Habitat: The freshwater crocodile lives in a variety of freshwater bodies of water: swamps, lakes, lagoons and rivers (preferring their mouths, it is less common in the upper reaches of rivers and streams). It has never been found near the coast, in waters with high salinity and where it may encounter the more aggressive saltwater crocodile. It has been noted that if the population of the saltwater crocodile begins to decline, the population of the freshwater crocodile increases, and then Johnston's crocodiles occupy the favorite habitats of their food competitor and appear near the coast. As the saltwater crocodile population recovers, the situation returns to its original position.
Enemies: Sandy (Varanus gouldi) and Argus monitor lizards (Varanus panoptes), and wild pigs (Sus scrofa)- the main predators that hunt the eggs of the Australian crocodile during the entire period of their incubation. Thanks to their sensitive sense of smell, monitor lizards easily find crocodile nests in which eggs were laid even 24-48 hours ago. By the time the crocodiles hatch, only a third of all nests usually remain untouched.
Hunting for local residents does not bring great harm for a population of a given species. The young may be killed by the adult reptiles when they are short of food. Crocodiles can also be eaten by black kites, and even large fish. Recently, young freshwater crocodiles have faced a direct threat from the aggressive aga toad (Bufo marinus).
Food: The diet of an adult freshwater crocodile consists mainly of fish. Some species of invertebrates and small vertebrates supplement the diet. Adult crocodiles hunt land animals, waiting for them at the water's edge. They also hunt underwater. During the dry season, due to lack of food, crocodiles practically do not eat, but they can eat other, smaller individuals of crocodiles.
Behavior: Australian crocodiles are one of several species that can gallop on land, reaching speeds of 18 km/h. When hunting, these reptiles use the ambush method, followed by quickly capturing prey by the head or across the body. They are not fussy, they slowly creep up to their prey, leaving only their nostrils, eyes and ears above the water.
Most often, crocodiles dive in the morning (from 6 to 12 noon), but at night they are less active and mostly stay near the surface of the water. The duration of stay under water decreases with increasing body temperature. The maximum duration of the dive was 119.6 minutes, but the largest share in the behavior of this species consists of jumping into the water for relatively short and shallow dives (lasting no longer than 45 minutes and to a depth of at least 40 cm).
Social structure: Leads a solitary life.
Reproduction: Female freshwater crocodiles dig nest-burrows in the sand 10-15 m from the shore. Eggs are usually laid at night to a depth of 12-20 cm, four to six weeks after mating season. Females instinctively choose a place for the nest so that during rains the eggs will be above the water and not flooded. At the same time, too shallow a clutch depth increases the risk of overheating of the eggs. Once every few years, abnormal conditions occur in the nesting areas of Australian crocodiles. natural phenomena, when the rainy season begins quite early, due to which almost all nests are destroyed by flooding.
Studies have shown that all females of one population lay eggs quite amicably, usually within a three-week period. They can lay clutches close to each other, and in some cases, females even dig up the eggs of their predecessor and lay their own in this place. The latter happens when there are too many masonry in one place.
Before the birth of the cubs, the female digs up a nest, and after their birth carries the newborns in her mouth into the water. The female remains near the young and guards them for some more time.
All crocodiles swallow stones for better digestion, and to quench their thirst they use only freshwater, not seawater.
Breeding season/period: Mating season and courtship are confined to the beginning of the dry season (May), and breeding and nest building continues until July-September.
Puberty: Females reach 11-14 years, males - 16-17 years, reaching a length of 1.5 m.
Incubation: Lasts 6-10 weeks (according to other sources - 75-85 days, depending on temperature).
Offspring: For normal incubation of eggs, a temperature of 30-33"C is required. There are usually 13 eggs in a clutch (sometimes from 4 to 20). Temperature affects the percentage of births of females and males: so at temperatures up to 32"C more males are born, above 32"C - females.
Females care for their young, but not for as long as the saltwater crocodile. A disturbed female may leave her nest and offspring. It has been established that cubs can be born even in the absence of outside help. Newly hatched crocodiles first absorb the yolk from their sac, which they feed on for several days.
In case of lack of food, cases of cannibalism often occur among crocodiles. Only 1% of all newborn crocodiles survive to reach sexual maturity. Babies eat small prey, such as insects, small aquatic and semi-aquatic arthropods, crustaceans and some fish. 
Benefit/harm for humans: The local population uses crocodiles for meat, eggs and the production of crocodile skin products. Aboriginal harvesting of freshwater crocodiles did not have a noticeable effect on population numbers. However, since the 1950s. Johnston's crocodile skin attracted the attention of industrialists and the population began to decline until the 1960-70s, when measures were taken to protect the species. This species was less subject to extermination as a result of hunting than the saltwater crocodile, since the skin of the former is less suitable for dressing.
There are known cases of freshwater crocodiles attacking people.
Population/Conservation Status: Population 50,000-100,000 individuals. Her condition is believed to be stable. The main reason The decline in the number of Australian freshwater crocodiles is due to the degradation of their usual habitats. Crocodile farms have been created, but they are not widespread.
The species is listed in Appendix II of the CITES Convention and the International Red Book under the category: LRlc (low risk).
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