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Home , Saltwater crocodile

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toledoBlade.com the blade, toledo, ohio SUNday, M a Y 26, 2013 S e C tioN b, Page 6 The OuTdOOrs Page SALTWATER

The 17-foot saltwater named Baru at the Toledo Zoo. THE BLADE/LORI KING CROCS Largest on Earth By MaTT MaRKEy SALTWATER and JEFF BaSTING ■ Saltwater crocodile, porosus f Baru, the Toledo Zoo’s toothy new celeb- ■ The largest crocodilian and on Earth, descending from rity crocodilian, were to trace his lineage, the trip would take him back a few million reptiles 65-225 million ago. years, and then maybe a couple hundred ■ Life span is about 80-100 years. millionI more. ■ Males average 13-15 feet long and 700 pounds, but crocs up There is strong evidence that crocodiles were to 23 feet long and 2,200 pounds have been documented. here on Earth well before the dinosaurs, and ■ Only the populations in and are crocs survived the mass extinction some 65 mil- currently stable. lion years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs. “They are a link to the past for the world,” said ■ Although known as “saltwater” crocs, they commonly live Andy Odum, curator of herpetology at the zoo. in brackish waters along the coast, and thrive in freshwater “They managed to survive that great disaster swamps and rivers a long distance from the ocean. when most other species did not.” ■ The saltwater crocodile is the largest living They are excellent swimmers and have been known to travel reptile, and a very efficient predator at the top of hundreds of miles in the open sea. the food chain. “Crocs are nature’s perfect little ■ An opportunistic feeder, the saltwater croc will eat water buf- submarines,” Mr. Odum said. “They have those falo, monkeys, , , , and even . second eyelids that act like underwater goggles, ■ Their reputation as a maneater is exaggerated — more people ASSOCIATED PRESS and they are extremely powerful when they at- A saltwater crocodile on the bank of the in Australia. tack their prey.” are killed by hippos than by crocodiles. In Australia; on average Although they carry the “saltwater” tag and saltwater crocs kill two people per . can live for long periods in saltwater, most of ■ The temperature of the will determine the sex of the these crocs spend the majority of their time in newborn crocodile. China 18 Feet Pacific freshwater systems. Some will live 100 percent of ■ Crocodiles regulate their body temperature by basking in the their lives in freshwater. Ocean sun or cooling off in the water. They often lie on the shore with “Calling them an estuarine croc is probably more descriptive,” Mr. Odum said. their mouths open to cool themselves. One class of male crocs displays high “site fi ■ Crocs have 64-68 teeth that grow continuously and are forced New - Guinea delity” and is dominant enough to rule an area. out after about two years and replaced with new, sharp ones. Indonesia With his size and strength, Baru would fall into that group. The smaller subservient males travel CROCODILE OR ? 12 Feet Indian Ocean long distances just to avoid the big boys. Male “They are highly socialized , but that Alligator Australia One major difference crocodile doesn’t mean they are friendly,” Mr. Odum said. between and “The adult males are extremely territorial, and crocodiles is that the will battle to the point of killing each other.” top jaw of an alligator is The females spend most of their time in the wider than the lower jaw, of a dominant male, but will venture The saltwater croc population worldwide with slots for the lower is estimated at 200,000 to 300,000. considerable distances, as much as 30 miles, to 6 Feet teeth to fit into, while They range over a wide area of the find a suitable nesting area. Crocodile “They want more than just a ,” Mr. Od- the crocodiles’ jaws are globe, from the brackish and freshwater the same size, with teeth Man um said. “They want a place to raise their young, regions of eastern India, , interlocking when closed. and , to the Solomon something very much like a rookery.”

Less than 1 percent of the crocodile hatchlings Crocodiles have a telltale Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, large fourth tooth dis-

and the Philippines. will reach adult maturity, which is about 16 years for males and 10 years for females. Young croc- played on the lower jaw. U Australia has an estimated 150,000 V odiles are heavily preyed on by turtles, territo- saltwater crocs. rial male crocs, and Australian monitor , while croc are preyed on by birds. Mature saltwater crocs are opportunistic feed- ers, with a good memory. One group of crocs in

Southeast Asia will swim a long distance at the

same time each year to reach islands where they

de-shell and eat sea turtles that have gathered U V Crocodiles rely on there. Saltwater crocs also patiently bide their surprise rather than time in the arid north of Australia, and when the speed to capture prey. billabongs dry up, the crocs gorge themselves on the fish trapped in these isolated ponds. The eyes, nose, and Their metabolism allows these crocs to eat in- ears are on the top of frequently and still thrive. the head, allowing the “It has been very enlightening having Baru body to be submerged here,” Mr. Odum said. “We have learned a lot Another difference between the two is the shape of the snout. so the croc can leap out about crocodilian behavior in the little time that From above, it is a V-shape on a crocodile and a U-shape on an and grab its prey and he has been at the zoo. These are truly fascinat- alligator. The crocodile’s shape is designed for snatching prey drag it under water. The ing creatures.” while the alligator’s allows more leverage for crushing. tongue is attached to the roof of the mouth so the croc cannot chew. It must tear off chunks of prey and swallow them by tipping its head and allowing gravity to pass food to the stomach. The crocs’ digestive enzymes are so strong that they can disgest bone, hair, ASSOCIATED PRESS and even steel nails.

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