Life Cycle of Estuarine crocodile

Introduction:

Estuarine Crocodile has become a protected species since 1970 because earlier intense hunting had drastically reduced numbers though crocodile’s numbers have increased. Many crocodile’s are still lost, drowned in fishing nets etc. This dangerous large crocodile’s are relocated from human contact.

sea crocodile

Features of Estuarine crocodile:

The Estuarine saltwater crocodile is one of the most aggressive and dangerous crocodiles. It is the world’s largest reptile the estuarine or salt-water crocodile has a broad snout with cone-shaped teeth. Its average length is five meters but males crocodile are of six to seven meters. Estuarine Crocodile have many bony scales on their neck and back, mainly grayish brown with brown and yellow sides. Their feet are webbed for swimming. It is assumed that they live up to 70 to 100 years. They have clear eyelids, which enable them to see underwater.

Feeding:

The feeding strategy of this crocodile is different; they wait very close to the water's edge and suddenly attack upon its victim in the blink of an eye. The prey of younger crocodile is smaller animals such as deep sea fishes, crabs, insects etc. Adults can also pounce and eat larger animals by drowning them, for example fish, 

sea turtles, sea birds and mammals even domestic cattle and humans.

Breeding in crocodile

Breeding

The nesting takes place in the rainy season after males fight for the female’s crocodiles. The female estuarine crocodile generally builds a nesting heap of vegetation, that contains mud and soil and it lays 40 and 60 eggs inside the heap of soil and mud. This heap raises the eggs above the water level. Female crocodile protects the nest for three months until the young crocodile comes out of the egg. After the young ones come out of the egg, the female crocodile carefully carries her young ones in her mouth and takes them to the water.

Eggs of crocodile

Female or male crocodile at birth?

Isn’t it sounding amazing?  But it’s true. The temperature of the water in which the egg is kept determines the sex of the baby crocodile. If the egg is kept at 32.6 degrees Celsius then it will be male crocodile in the same way if the water is hot or cold it will be a female crocodile.

Thermoregulation behaviors of estuarine crocodile:

Often you will see an estuarine crocodile opening its mouth.  This is because the crocodile wants to cool down, and therefore a lot of their time is spent in thermoregulation as they try to maintain their body temperature between 30 to 32 degrees Celsius as Crocodiles are regarded as cold-blooded reptile.

Thermoregulation behaviors in crocodile

Their Enemies:

 These crocodiles were once hunted by humans. In many countries, like Australia, hunting of crocodile or any other sea animals is illegal, but still in many parts of Australia and in other countries they are still hunted by the hunters. In Australia, the population of these crocodiles are 100 000. Humans are not their only enemies. On the island of Sri Lanka, there are feral buffalo that destroy their habitats. On the other hand, lizards and wild pigs eat their eggs, and turtles eat the baby crocodiles.