Saltwater Crocodile - The Largest Reptile In The World / Documentary (English/HD)

If there was ever any marine reptile that could ever compete against and even hunt Great White Sharks, it is none other than the Saltwater Crocodile. Possessive of an intimidating size which is even larger than that of the Nile crocodile, the saltwater crocodile also packs the greatest bite force of any living animal, extremely cunning hunting style and a brutal attack strategy which has made it the subject of several documentaries. This species is particularly popular in Australia as it is often fondly called “Saltie” from its more formal name of “Saltwater Crocodile”. It also goes by the names Marine Crocodile, Estuarine Crocodile, Indo-pacific Crocodile, and Sea Crocodile.

The Saltwater Crocodile is one of the different species of crocodiles alive today. Many people often confuse crocs with alligators since both look somewhat alike. While alligators have snouts that are U-shaped, crocs on the other hand, have wider snouts that are V-shaped. Another difference is that while crocs live in both salt and freshwater, alligators only live in freshwaters. Of all the living species of crocs alive, the saltwater crocodile is both the largest and the heaviest.

It can easily be differentiated from other croc species by its snout which is much wider than most other species such as the Indian Mugger crocodile. It also has ridges in the eyes which run down the center of its snout and has its body covered in oval shaped scales. Juvenile Saltwater Crocodiles are more often pale yellow with black spots and stripes. Adults, on the other hand, are often greenish-dark with some being so dark that they appear blackish.

Some adults however, retain their pale coloration. Their bellies are either white or yellow. Another distinctive feature of a saltwater crocodile is the fact that it is a solitary animal that is rarely ever seen in groups in the wild as it is notorious for being the most territorial and aggressive of all croc species.

Rightfully crowned with the title of being the “largest living reptile in the world”, it is not uncommon to find some growing to be as long as 23 feet (or 7 meters) in length! Mature male saltwater crocodiles are often larger than females with males measuring between 14 and 23 feet (about 4.2 to 7 meters) while females often measure 7.5 to 11 feet (approximately 2.3 to 3.3 meters) in length.

Top of the reptilian chain not in size but also in weight, a typical saltwater croc measures between 880 and 2,200 pounds (about 400 to 1,000 kilograms)! To attain such an incredibly large size and weight, the saltwater crocodile has a wide range of habitat where it is able to grow to such gargantuan dimensions.

Although saltwater crocodiles live in certain freshwater regions of the world, it, however prefers brackish waters i.e. water whose salinity falls between that of seawater and freshwater such as those often found in estuaries. It is also a very common sight to see these majestic marine beasts far out at sea swimming comfortably.

They can therefore be found in waters of Southeast Asia and Eastern India. However, the country with the largest population is Australia as they can be found mostly in the northern region such as in places like Queensland. A few can still be found in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines where they were once plentiful.

Did you know that the saltwater croc is an ancient marine animal that lived with the Dinosaurs? It has been in existence ever since the time of the Dinosaurs and somehow survived the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event which wiped out the Dinosaurs some 65 million years ago. Ever since then, the saltwater crocodile has continued to evolve and adapt to its ever-changing environment.

Narrator: Larry G. Jones

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