The Saltwater Crocodile

Animalia Chordata Repitlia Crocodyli Crocodylidae Crocodylus Porosus

The saltwater crocodile grows to be one of the largest carnivores in Australia. Salties eat fish, birds, snakes and anything that walks on two or four legs. This is why salties are at the top of a couple countries food chains.

 

Salties live in and around the rainforest, in the swampy areas. These salties can live salt or fresh water, it doesn’t matter. During the summer salties stay in the water or cover themselves in mud to keep cool. I think they’re rather lazy animals.





Salties mate in August or September during this time the parents become even more territorial. Salties nests are made out of grass and stuff the nest has to be partially submerged or else the eggs will dry out but if it is too deep the babies will drown. The female will lay 40-60 eggs at one time. The eggs will hatch on an average of 80 days. Gender is determined by the temperature of the egg.




image from http://www.verhanneman.be/australia.html

Salties have extremely slimy skin; just kidding, salties skin is really soft and smooth. Salties tails and back have (scoots), salties use these to slip into the water with not one sound or ripple which makes it possible for salties to sneak up on prey.

Crocodiles have an amazing gift; salties can feel the vibrations of the ground around them so it’s really hard sneak up on salties, so salties can know where salties prey is. The ways that salties catch prey, is by jumping out of the water and grabbing them. Once the salties catch its prey, and rip the victim apart by shaking its head vigorously side to side. This rips the victimps to pieces. This makes digestion easier even though crocs stomach is specially made to digest almost anything.

Fun Fact; the world’s largest salt water crocodile was 20.24 feet long and weighted over a ton

Beej

In the jungle.......the crocodile sleeps tonight....

Yep, Dad wanted to make sure that we saw saltwater crocs while we were in Australia. And they seem to be prolific in the Daintree area (North of Cairns)... So we found this; 

So we got in our little ferry and boated down the river. The first thing we saw was a bird (croc food). It was some kind of egret or crane, the guide named everything, birds, trees, specific crocs. It was pretty awesome.

Then we saw this little guy: a little kingfisher. The smallest kingfisher in the world. These little guys would shoot right across the river, they were ridiculously hard to shoot... with a camera I mean.

I think this is a Brahminy Kite (it may have been a osprey) he followed us around, and near the end two others (not the two at the bottom of the picture) joined him.

Another Crane of sorts....

And the first croc we saw; For some reason I can't remeber her name, but she was a Mom, she had several little crocs around her as well.

This little one was from last year's litter, he hing around next to mom for a while.

I think this is Schute. He apparently lost a schute at one point. He is covered in mud to keep him from getting sunburned.

And the last croc we saw this was a big one, bigger than either of the other two we saw that day

Beej and Essie both got to drive.

Well that's all I've got, talk to you all later,

The Tall One.