Territory Stories

Management program for the saltwater crocodile in the Northern Territory of Australia 2009-2013

Details:

Title

Management program for the saltwater crocodile in the Northern Territory of Australia 2009-2013

Creator

Fukuda, Yusuke; Delaney, Robyn; Leach, Gregory J

Issued by

Northern Territory. Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport

Collection

E-Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT

Date

2009-04

Description

The draft program is open for public comment to Friday 29 May 2009. Includes Summary document.

Notes

Date:2009-04; Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).

Language

English

Subject

Crocodylus porosus -- Northern Territory; Crocodiles -- Conservation -- Northern Territory; Crocodiles -- Control -- Northern Territory; Crocodiles -- Government Policy -- Northern Territory

Publisher name

Northern Territory Government

Place of publication

Darwin

Edition

Draft.

Format

60 pages : illustration, maps ; 30 cm.

File type

application/pdf

ISBN

9781921519260

Use

Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)

Copyright owner

Northern Territory Government

License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Related links

http://hdl.handle.net/10070/214159[Final Edition]

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/212633

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/716134

Related items

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/716136

Page content

Draft Management Program for the Saltwater Crocodile in the Northern Territory 41 actual rates of survival between age five and maturity have never been established. Webb and Manolis (1993) speculated that less than one per cent survive to breed. The survival rate of mature animals is unknown. In the wild, females normally reach maturity at 2.3 m total length and approximately 12 years of age. Males mature at around 3.35 m and about 16 years of age. The normal maximum size of C. porosus is around 4.6 to 5.2 m for males and 3.1 to 3.4 m for females. Individual C. porosus may live for more than 70 years (Webb and Manolis 1989). Diet The diets of C. porosus vary with the size of individuals. Hatchlings feed mainly on small crabs, prawns and insects (Webb and Manolis 1989). Crabs and prawns are the major food items in tidal rivers for crocodiles up to 2 m long. With increasing size, crocodiles feed on a greater variety of food items and the diet of crocodiles over 2 m long includes fish, crabs, turtles, birds and mammals. Large prey such as cattle and horses are eaten only by the largest of crocodiles. Large crocodiles will also scavenge.