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Saltwater Crocodile
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Species:	C. porosus
Binomial name
Crocodylus porosus (Schneider, 1801)
Range of the saltwater crocodile in black

The saltwater or estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest of all living crocodilians and reptiles. It is found in suitable habitat throughout Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, and the surrounding waters. Saltwater crocodiles are known in the Northern Territory of Australia as "salties". The Alligator Rivers are misnamed after the resemblance of the "saltie" to alligators as compared to freshwater crocodiles, which also inhabit the Northern Territory.

Anatomy and morphology

The saltwater =nd Conservation| year = 1972 | pages = pp.195 | id = ISBN 0715352725}}</ref>

An adult male saltwater crocodile can grow 12-16ft sometimes found 16-18ft feet (6 meters) long, and weigh more than 1000 kilograms (2,200 pounds). Females are much smaller than males, with typical female body lengths in the range of 7 to 10 ft (2.1 to 3 m). The largest females measure about 4.2 m (14 feet). The saltwater crocodile has fewer armor plates on its neck than other crocodilians, and its broad body contrasts with that of most other lean crocodiles, leading to early unverified assumptions that the reptile was an alligator.

The largest size saltwater crocodiles can reach is the subject of considerable controversy. The longest crocodile ever measured snout-to-tail was the skin of a deceased crocodile, which was 20.3 ft (6.2 m) long. Since skins tend to shrink slightly after removal from the carcass, this crocodile's living length was estimated at 20.6 feet (6.3 m) and it probably weighed well over 2,600 pounds. Incomplete remains (the skull of a crocodile shot in Orrissa) have been claimed to come from a 25 ft (7.6&ns through much of their range, with sightings in areas such as Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam becoming extremely rare and the species may in fact even be extinct in one or more of these countries. However, it is also the least likely of crocodilians to become globally extinct due to its wide distribution and almost pre-colonial population sizes in Northern Australia and New Guinea. In India this crocodile is extremely rare in most areas but is very common in the north eastern part of the country (mainly Orissa and the Sunderbans). The population is sporadic in Indonesia and Malaysia with some areas harboring large populations (Borneo, for example) and others with very small, "at risk" populations (e.g., the Philippines). The saltwater crocodile is also present in very limited parts of the South Pacific, with an average population in the Solomon Islands, a very small and soon to be extinct population in [[V Saltwater crocodiles once ranged as far west as the east coast of Africa at the Seychelles Islands. These crocodiles were once believed to be a population of Nile crocodiles, but they were later proven to be Crocodylus porosus.

Behaviour

capable of taking animals up to the size of an adult male water buffalo, either in the water or on dry land. They have also been known to attack humans. Juveniles are restricted to smaller animals such as insects, amphibians, crustaceans, small reptiles and fish. The larger the animal grows, the greater the varietygo]]s, goannas, birds, domestic livestock, pets, water buffalo, gaurs, leopards, sharks,<ref name=underwatertimes2>[http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=84173256109 No Bull: Saltwater Crocodclose to the water's edge before striking, using its great strength to drag the animal back into the water. Most prey animals are killed by the great jaw pressure of the crocodile, although some animals may be incidentally drowned. It is an immensely powerful animal, having the strength to drag a fully grown water buffalo into a river, or crush a full-grown bovid's skull between itsll," it grabs onto the animal and rolls powerfully. This is designed to initially throw any struggling large animal off balance making it easier to drag it into the water. The "death roll" is also used for tearing apart large animals once they are dead.

Although saltwater crocodileng portion of the crocodile's range, where very few attacks are reported and there's none of the precautions taken in Australia, attacks have been estimated to number up to the thousands annually.

Intelligence

Dr. Adam Britton, a researcher with Big Gecko, has been studying crocodilian intelligence. In so doing, he has compiled a collection of Australian saltwater crocodile calls, and associated them with behaviors. His position is that while crocodilian brains are much smaller than those of mammals (as low as 0.05% of body weight in the saltwater crocodile), they are capable of learning hard tasks with very little conditioning. He also infers that the crocodile calls hint at a deeper langu

1. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/csp_cpor.htm
2. http://www.kingsnake.com/oz/crocs/porosus.htm
3. ^ 'Croce -->
4. ^ Wood, The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats. Sterling Pub Co Inc (1983), ISBN 978-0851122359
5. Which is the largest species of crocodile?
6. Guinness: India Park Home to World's Largest Crocodile; 23 Feet

• IUCN Red List least concern species