Metazoa info

[Duke Guilmon]

Saltwater crocodile



Size:4.3-6.7m in males, 3m in females

Weight:400-2,00kg

Life expectancy: 70 years

When it first appeared: It is estimated to have appeared in the Miocene 12-6 million years ago

Location:Salties are found in estuaries, mangrove swamps, deltas, and lagoons as far south as Australia and as far north as India.



Taxonomy:
Class:Reptilia
Clade:Sauropsida
Clade:Eureptilia
Clade:Romeriida
Cladeiapsida
Clade:Neodiapsida
Clade:Archosauromorpha
Clade:Archosauriformes
Clade:Crurotarsi
Clade;Archosauria
Cladeseudosuchia
Clade:Suchia
Informal group:Rauisuchia
Cladearacrocodylomorpha
Clade:Loricata
Clade:Bathyotica
Superorder:Crocodylomorpha
Clade:Crocodyliformes
Clade:Mesoeurocodylia
Clade:MEtasuchia
Clade:Neosuchia
Clade:Eusuchia
Order:Crocodilia
Clade:Brevirostres
Superfamily:Crocodyloidea
Family:Crocodylidae
Subfamily:Crocodylinae
Genus:Crocodylus
Species:Crocodylus porosus

Diet:Being the apex predator it is saltwater crocodiles eat a range of animals, from crustaceans to other large predators

Anatomy: To survive in its habitat saltwater crocodiles have evolved salt glands, and are the only crocodiles to have slat glands and live in salt water. Another amazing structure of the saltwater crocodile is its jaws. Salties have the strongest bite force of any extant animal. This is thanks to its jaw muscle, as it has a large space and is very stiff. However they have weak muscles to open the jaw.

Behavior: Salties will travel area to area by sea, either swimming or letting the currents carry them to were they are going. Salties that were at sea for a long time will have barnacles. Salties are also social animals, as they will share basking spots and food. Males are also territorial and will fight males and share its spot with females. Salt water crocodiles are active both day and night, as they bask during the day and mainly hunt at night/

Reproduction: Saltwater crocodiles begin to mate during the wet season. The salties in Australia begin mating during September and October. The females will select a territory which contains a male. Once they are mates, they will defend their territory from every one. After mating, the female builds a nest of mud and vegetation. She then lays 40-60 eggs. These eggs are small, smaller than many other crocodile species in fact. She will guard the eggs for 80-90 days. the sex of the eggs is determined by their temperature. High temperatures mostly produce males, lower temperatures mostly produce females. Females defend these eggs with much vigilance. They will attack all those who approach her offspring. The young leave their mom at the age of 2.5 years, and reach sexual maturity at the age of 10.

Relationships with other animals: Salties attack all animals, weather it be a threat of not. Even humans and sharks are attacked by these beast.



Birthday crocodile

Other sources:

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=187

http://www.australianfauna.com/saltwatercrocodile.php

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/ac...s_porosus/