I think that crocodiles are quite fascinating animals and the more that people know about them,

the better they can understand them. Hopefully by understanding them, people may develop an appreciation of crocodiles which in turn may lead to some rational decisions being made about their longterm conservation and management here in Australia.

Crocodilians are the worlds largest and perhaps most exciting reptiles. They are also great survivors and their prehistoric ancestors, the Archosaurs, date back over 240 million years to the Triassic period. They have survived major upheavals such as the break up of the continents and the ice ages. They have witnessed the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and have seen the evolution of mammals and birds. Since man colonised the world, no species of crocodile has become extinct; however 17 out of the 23 species of crocodilians around the world are endangered.

They have distinctive features such as long jaws, protective armour, streamlined body and long tail. These, together with various anatomical and physiological adaptations, make the crocodile perfectly suited to an aquatic and predatory lifestyle. Their features have changed very little from those of their prehistoric ancestors, proving that their body form has been highly successful in nature. Some experts believe that the crocodile, in its present form, has not changed for the last 100 million years. Maybe a perfect design?

Crocodiles are cold blooded and have a body temperature similar to the surrounding air, land or water. Since they lack a reptilian thermostat, they seek a habitat with warm water and air temperature all year round. Though much maligned, crocodiles play an important role in wetland environments. They help keep the balance in the complex web of life in freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. They are key predators at the top of the food chain and eat a wide range of prey. They are also prey, when smaller, to other animals such as feral pigs, goannas, turtles, barramundi, sea eagles and even other crocodiles. Being predator and prey, the crocodile plays an important role in keeping a wetland ecosystem healthy and when a wetland habitat is healthy, the fishery is considered to be healthy too.

The Freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) is endemic to Australia. It is found nowhere else in the world. "Freshies" occur only in inland waters of Northern Australia, and in Queensland; they are found mainly in the rivers and swamps of Cape York Peninsula, areas bordering the Gulf of Carpentaria and the northwest. They also live in the tidal reaches of some rivers and therefore co-exist at times with estuarine crocodiles. They have a narrow snout and reasonably straight jaw line with even sized teeth. Males can grow to 3 metres but animals larger than 2.5 metres are rare. Females rarely exceed 2.5 metres. They are not "man-eaters" and feed mainly on insects, frogs, lizards, turtles, with bats, birds and small mammals being taken occasionally at the water's edge. Even larger "freshies" tend to eat very small food items.

The Estuarine (Saltwater) crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is found in the warm climate from Sri Lanka and India in the west to the Caroline Islands in the east, to the north from Burma and SouthEast Asia, to Australia, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands in the south. In Australia, they are restricted to northern parts of the continent, from about Rockhampton on the east coast of Queensland to Broome on the west coast of Western Australia.

Young crocodiles are born with a horn or egg tooth on the tip of their snout, which later drops off. This enables them to break out of the egg. When hatching, young crocodiles squawk to attract the mother, who may in turn dig them out and carry them gently to the water in her mouth. Unhatched eggs are sometimes rolled around on the mother's tongue to help the young emerge.