Saltwater crocodile

Saltwater crocodile
Temporal range: Pliocene–Present, 5.3–0 Ma[1]
Male
Female
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[3][note 1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Crocodylidae
Genus: Crocodylus
Species:
C. porosus
Binomial name
Crocodylus porosus
Schneider, 1801
Range of the saltwater crocodile in black

The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats, brackish wetlands and freshwater rivers from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 1996.[2] It was hunted for its skin throughout its range up to the 1970s, and is threatened by illegal killing and habitat loss. It is regarded as dangerous to humans.[4]

The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile.[5] Males can grow up to a weight of 1,000–1,500 kg (2,200–3,300 lb) and a length of 6 m (20 ft), rarely exceeding 6.3 m (21 ft).[6][7] Females are much smaller and rarely surpass 3 m (9.8 ft).[8][9] It is also called the estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile, and, informally, the saltie.[10] A large and opportunistic hypercarnivorous apex predator, they ambush most of their prey and then drown or swallow it whole. They will prey on almost any animal that enters their territory, including other predators such as sharks, varieties of freshwater and saltwater fish including pelagic species, invertebrates such as crustaceans, various amphibians, other reptiles, birds, and mammals.[11][12]

  1. ^ Rio, Jonathan P.; Mannion, Philip D. (6 September 2021). "Phylogenetic analysis of a new morphological dataset elucidates the evolutionary history of Crocodylia and resolves the long-standing gharial problem". PeerJ. 9: e12094. doi:10.7717/peerj.12094. PMC 8428266. PMID 34567843.
  2. ^ a b Webb, G.J.W.; Manolis, C.; Brien, M.L.; Balaguera-Reina, S.A. & Isberg, S. (2021). "Crocodylus porosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T5668A3047556. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T5668A3047556.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. ^ Webb, G. J. W.; Manolis, C.; Brien, M. L. (2010). "Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus" (PDF). In Manolis, S. C.; Stevenson, C. (eds.). Crocodiles: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan (3rd ed.). Darwin: IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group. pp. 99–113.
  5. ^ Read, M. A.; Grigg, G. C.; Irwin, S. R.; Shanahan, D.; Franklin, C. E. (2007). "Satellite tracking reveals long distance coastal travel and homing by translocated Estuarine Crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus". PLOS ONE. 2 (9): e949. Bibcode:2007PLoSO...2..949R. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000949. PMC 1978533. PMID 17895990.
  6. ^ Fukuda, Y.; Saalfeld, W. K.; Lindner, G. & Nichols, T. (2013). "Estimation of total length from head length of Saltwater Crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) in the Northern Territory, Australia". Journal of Herpetology. 47 (1): 34–40. doi:10.1670/11-094. S2CID 83912762.
  7. ^ Rice, S. (2020). Encyclopedia of Biodiversity (Revised ed.). New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 9781438195926.
  8. ^ Whitaker, R.; Whitaker, N. (2008). "Who's got the biggest?" (PDF). Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter. 27 (4): 26–30.
  9. ^ Britton, A. R. C.; Whitaker, R.; Whitaker, N. (2012). "Here be a Dragon: Exceptional size in Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) from the Philippines". Herpetological Review. 43 (4): 541–546.
  10. ^ Allen, G. R. (1974). "The marine crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, from Ponape, Eastern Caroline Islands, with notes on food habits of crocodiles from the Palau Archipelago". Copeia. 1974 (2): 553. doi:10.2307/1442558. JSTOR 1442558.
  11. ^ Hua, S.; Buffetaut, E. (1997). "Part V: Crocodylia". In Callaway, J. M.; Nicholls, E. L. (eds.). Ancient marine reptiles. Cambridge: Academic Press. pp. 357–374. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-155210-7.X5000-5. ISBN 978-0-12-155210-7.
  12. ^ Blaber, S. J. M. (2008). "Mangroves and Estuarine Dependence". Tropical estuarine fishes: ecology, exploration and conservation. Oxford: Blackwell Science. pp. 185–201. ISBN 9780470694985.


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