crocodiles
Some people believe that crocodiles are living dinosaurs. Crocodiles are the largest reptiles known to man. There are two types of crocodile in Australia. One of these species is the Estuarine Crocodile, otherwise known as the Australian Saltwater Crocodile, one of the largest species in the Crocodilian family. For thousands of years no other animal threatened crocodiles. The other species, the Freshwater crocodile, lives in fresh or slightly salty water. They are found from the Kimberleys in Western Australia across the top of northern Australia and down most of the Queensland coast. For thousands of years no other animal threatened, they ruled the wetlands and rivers of the world, but when guns were invented, humans had the ability to hunt and kill crocodiles in great numbers. This resulted in the near extinction of the crocodile. Freshwater crocodiles live in fresh or slightly salty water; they have a narrow snout and jaws and are smaller than estuarine crocodiles. They will not attack people unless they are cornered or wounded. Estuarine crocodiles are much larger and more dangerous, prefer saltwater habitats, but may be found in fresh water. Their snout is broad, bumpy and short.
The female estuarine crocodile lay up to 60 eggs, which take about three months to hatch. As Europeans settled in Australia and raised cattle, crocodiles were often shot, and crocodile nests destroyed, because they were a threat to the livestock. Very few eggs actually hatch, usually only about 25%. The water in swamps and estuaries can be dark or muddy and this aids the crocodile, as it relies on stealth and camouflage for hunting. Sustainable use programs have been implemented in the Northern Territory, and have proven to be highly successful in giving people an incentive to preserve not only the crocodiles, but more importantly, the habitat which supports them. 0 metre one may weigh in excess of 480 kilograms. When crocodiles are underwater they seal their nostrils and shut off their windpipe from their gullet, which allows them to feed underwater. The crocodile has to rip large prey apart by doing the 'crocodile death roll' or 'head shake'. The nest temperature is an important factor in determining the sex of the young. A crocodile cannot cut its food with its teeth as they are designed to clamp. By 1974 the crocodile was protected by law and the hunting stopped. The hatchlings are then sold to crocodile farms for breeding and skin production. These nests are found on a riverbank close to the water. 0 metre estuarine crocodile may weigh about 100 kilograms, whilst a 5.
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