Be Crocwise What you need to know!

Be aware. The industry relies on the wild horses while unwary people can It must be population of crocodiles to also put themselves at risk. assumed that supplement its captive stocks. Hunting of both species in any body This involves harvesting up to the 1940’s to 60’s saw a great of water in 50,000 crocodile eggs from the reduction in the crocodile the Top End wild each wet season. population in the NT. may contain The Northern Territory’s The hunting of ‘Freshies’ dangerous Crocodile Management crocodiles. stopped in 1964 and ‘Salties’ in Program, together with similar 1971, when they were declared Many programs in Western Australia waterways that are isolated protected species under federal and Queensland, has made law. in the dry season (May to northern Australia one of the September) are connected last strongholds of the Saltwater Crocodile populations have to other systems during wet Crocodile, the world’s largest increased from an estimated six season flooding (October to crocodile. The Freshwater or seven thousand animals in April), allowing crocodiles Crocodile is found only in the early 1970’s, and are now in to move around over a large Australia. excess of 75,000 in 2009. area. Read and obey all Management programs for Freshwater Crocodiles - warning signs. If a waterway crocodiles include measures to is not designated as ‘open for or ‘Freshies’, have also been known to bite, but they are timid conserve the species across the swimming’, then it may be Top End, while also removing inhabited by crocodiles. and will usually only attack people when they are forced to animals from populated areas Crocodiles are a common and defend themselves, for example, where they may pose a risk to dominant predator in the tropical if you were to accidentally tread people. regions of Australia. Both the on one. Permanent crocodile traps are Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus maintained by the Parks and porosus and the Freshwater While ‘Freshies’ do not grow to more than 3.5 - 4 metres, the Wildlife Service in Darwin Crocodile Crocodylus Harbour, from which over 200 johnstoni are protected species, main visual difference between this species and ‘Salties’ is the animals are removed each year. contributing to our environment Traps are also maintained in the and economy in many ways. shape of the snout. ‘Freshies’ have a long tapered snout, while Katherine River near Katherine, Crocodiles are a strong drawcard ‘Salties’ have a broad snout. the McArthur River near for thousands of people who Booroloola, the Victoria River visit the Top End every year. In Saltwater Crocodiles - near Timber Creek, the Roper this way crocodiles play a part are found in the coastal and River near Ngukurr and around in supporting the many goods tidal areas of rivers, lagoons, Nhulunbuy and Alyangula. and service industries in the billabongs, floodplains and However this does not ensure Territory which rely on tourism. freshwater reaches of rivers. In that areas are safe for swimming. fact, they can be found in any Although protected in the wild, waterway, waterbody or low • Crocodiles are Common crocodiles are farmed in the Top lying area, right across northern End and provide employment Australia. • Crocodiles Move Around for hundreds of Territorians in • Crocodiles are Deadly the farms, tanneries and support Saltwater Crocodiles, or businesses. The Top End’s farms ‘Salties’, can grow to about six • Read and Obey All Signs metres in length, while some produce high quality crocodile • Be Crocwise! skins and meat for Australian larger individual animals have and overseas markets which are been reported. The size of the worth millions of dollars each animal enables it to be a predator year. on animals such as cattle and

Parks & Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory Regional Office - Goyder Centre 25 Chung Wah Tce PALMERSTON NT 0830 PO Box 496 PALMERSTON NT 0831 Ph: (08) 8999 4555 www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/becrocwise Be Crocwise It’s easy to enjoy the Top End’s waterways in safety. • A crocodile can float with only eyes Just follow these tips. and nostrils exposed, enabling it to approach prey without being detected. • Underwater, a special transparent eyelid crosses the eye for protection. X Their eyes function best in low light. X The pupils of the eye which are reduced to a slit in daylight, open wide and a special layer of light reflecting crystals behind the retina, common in nocturnal animals, enhances night vision. These crystals cause the eyes Place fish carcasses in bins to shine red when caught in torch or provided or bury them well away spot light. from the water’s edge. Avoid entering the water when launching a boat. • The tail of a crocodile is solid muscle and a major source of power, making it a strong swimmer and enabling it to X make sudden lunges out of the water to capture prey. X • Some crocodiles swallow hard items such as stones to assist in digestion and possibly also to help balance the animal in the water.

Clean fish well away from the • When opening its mouth, a crocodile waters edge. can seal the back of its throat to avoid Maintain a safe distance from the gulping water. water when fishing. • Opening its mouth while basking in Did you know . . . . the sun prevents a crocodile’s brain overheating while its body continues • Saltwater Crocodiles can live for This means that crocodiles can survive to absorb heat. more than 70 years, and Freshwater for months without eating. Crocodiles are thought to live for at • The jaws are extremely powerful and • A female saltwater crocodile lays her least 50 years. a large crocodile can crush the head of eggs in a nest of vegetation. The sex a pig with a single bite. • Although ungainly, crocodiles can of her offspring is determined by the walk on land at a speed of about 1-2 temperature at which the eggs are • Crocodiles have no vocal chords. km/hr. Short bursts of speed on land incubated. If the nest is below 300 C Growls are made by snorting air rarely exceed 10 km/hr, and tire the exclusively females are produced, through the back of the throat or animal quickly. Freshwater Crocodiles at 310 C a mix results, and 32-330 C nostrils. can reach speeds of up to 18 km/hr. gives mostly males. • Large crocodiles can stay underwater • The skin on crocodiles is composed of for at least an hour by dropping their a network of interconnected scales or heart rate to 2-3 beats per minute to scutes of various types and sizes. On conserve energy. the belly surfaces, these scales tend to be square and flat; it is the skin of this • Although commonly referred to region that is most commonly used in as ‘cold-blooded’, crocodiles need the leather industry. The scales on the heat to function and prefer a body flanks and the neck tend to be round Be Crocwise temperature of 30-330 C. Unlike with a raised centre, while along the mammals which generate their own For further information contact: back and upper surfaces of the tail, the heat, crocodiles rely on the sun to scales are raised in a very pronounced warm them. Parks & Wildlife Commission NT way. These raised scales (osteoderms) PO Box 496 • 50-70% of the food which a crocodile are provided with a rich blood supply Palmerston NT 0831 eats is converted to flesh and energy. that transports heat back into the body Telephone (08) 8999 4432 (Darwin) In humans it is about 3-4% because so when crocodiles bask. (08) 8973 8865 (Katherine) much (80%) is used to produce heat.

D/12/2015PWCNT Information Sheet For more information see our website: www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/becrocwise