Eco Training Australia Top End Tours Salt Water Crocodile Northern Territory Adventures Scientific name Crocodylus porosus Northern Australia salties are very commonly sighted in the floodplains rivers Australia

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Salt Water Crocodile

Scientific name; Crocodylus porosus

The saltwater crocodile is found throughout South East Asia and Northern Australia (NT, WA and Qld)

Saltwater crocodiles or “salties” are very commonly sighted in the floodplain areas and river at our camp. The photo on this page was actually taken by our Guide, Nick Martin during a river boat trip on the tributary of the Mary River approximately 4 km from camp. Smaller, juvenile salties are often seen during our airboat trips on the floodplain close to camp, in fact the one pictured is a regular on the way to our ” Kingfisher cafe”. There is no swimming in any waterway at our camp. Generally 1 to 2 fatal crocodile attacks are recorded each year in Northern Australia.

Description: Adult males reach weights between 500 to 1400kg with lengths normally between 4 to 5 m. Some specimens have been sighted at 7 m with an old male seen near our river boat access point being closer to 6m.

Females tend to be much smaller than males, generally being between 2 to 3.5 m in length and weighing 300 to 400 kg.

Salties are much larger than other crocodile and alligators species, with a broader more powerful snout and jaws and broader head and body. They have the most beautiful skin colours and patterns, which vary from individual to individual This can make individual animals easy to identify. The beauty of their skins makes their hides very desirable and saltwater crocodiles are sustainably farmed in Northern Australia for leather and meat.

Crocodiles are very territorial with large males dominating the best river feeding areas. Juveniles tend to get pushed out onto the floodplain areas where food is not as available. Saltwater crocs prefer to hunt at night.

Our camp is located on a large working water buffalo farm and 3 to 4 buffalo are taken by crocs each year on the property. Large crocs have also been seen to feed on agile wallabies, wild pigs and birds.

Smaller crocs tend to feed on fish, lizards, frogs and birds.

Crocodiles are very opportunistic hunters at the top of their ecosystems food chain.

Crocodiles are cold blooded creatures with very economical ways of conserving energy. This limits the need to feed with some crocs been known to go without food for months. However, crocs can put on explosive bursts of energy when needed to attack prey and defend territory.

Crocodiles generally stalk their prey, sometimes observing prey over a number of days to learn the prey’s behaviour patterns. They tend to strike when the prey come to the water’s edge to drink.

Smaller prey gets killed by the crocs powerful crushing jaws or the prey drowns as the croc drags the animal into and under the water. Larger prey gets killed by the death roll, when the crocodile forces the prey off balance, rolling the prey underwater till it drowns and with the crocodile then tearing off chunks to eat.

It is estimated that there is between 100, 000 and 200,000 salt water crocodiles in northern Australia and 350,000 worldwide.

Breeding: Breeding usually occurs during wet season (December to February) when the animals also move across the flooded waterways. Females generally produce between 40 to70 eggs in a mound of vegetation. Scientists have found that the temperature at which the mound is kept is critical to determine the survival of the eggs and the sex of the hatchlings.

The female croc is a good mother, guarding the eggs in the mound during the 70 to 80 day incubation and continuing to guard the hatchlings till they reach a size which makes them less susceptible to predators.

Up until 1971 Crocodiles were actively culled, decimating numbers and reducing crocodile size. Since protection has been put in place, some observers feel crocodile sizes and numbers have returned to pre cull levels.

Troublesome crocodiles entering built up areas, particularly around Darwin and surrounds, are trapped and taken to crocodile farms, thereby limiting crocodile attacks on humans.

It is strongly advised to obey all crocodile warning signs before entering any waterway in Northern Australia and asking the advice of the relevant State Government Authority before swimming in any waterway not signposted.

There is no swimming in any waterway around our camp.