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Today we're going to talk about the largest saltwater crocodiles
in the world.
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Saltwater crocodiles are the largest living reptiles on Earth.
They're even bigger than the fearsome Nile crocodile and dwarf
alligators, gharials, and caimans.
But just how big is the largest saltwater crocodile in
the world?
Over the years, many contenders have been reported, but only
a few of them have been accurately measured.
This species may not grow to the same size as
its ancient ancestors, some of which grew to over 30
feet, but it can still grow to gargantuan proportions.
As apex predators.
The largest saltwater crocodiles in the world have little to
fear.
But even these fearsome, incredible creatures have fallen victim to
poaching, capture, and habitat loss.
That's why, now more than ever, it's important to understand
the role crocodiles play in our ecosystems.
Here, we'll learn about a few of the largest saltwater
crocodiles ever recorded and what you can do to ensure
that these magnificent creatures are still around for the next
generation.
Let's get started.
The scoop on crocodiles Crocodiles have been around for over
60 million years.
That's a long time.
They're called saltwater crocodiles because they can survive in salty
water.
Because of this, they're commonly known as salties.
In Australia, salties start life as eggs, carefully guarded by
their mother.
When they hatch, they're so small that they feast mainly
on small fish, insects and amphibians.
As they grow, the baby crocodiles learn to consume bigger
and bigger prey.
The largest saltwater crocodile, adults can eat prey as big
as pigs, water Buffalo and Kangaroos.
If you've never seen a crocodile, perhaps the best way
to describe them is as the rulers of the river.
They're big, scaly, and impressive.
All saltwater crocodiles are dull green on the sides and
back and pale tan on the belly.
They have long snouts filled with conical teeth.
Interestingly, their teeth aren't meant for shearing like a lion's.
Instead, they're used to clamp down on prey.
Crocodiles have one of the strongest bite forces on Earth
during ambush and consumption.
Where did the largest saltwater crocodiles on Earth live?
They're actually native to Indonesia, South Asia, eastern India, and
the northern coast of Australia.
Saltwater crocodiles inhabit mangrove swamps, marshes, rivers, lakes, ponds, and
even coastal ocean waters.
Their favorite haunts include murky waters where they can remain
concealed below the water, waiting for unsuspecting prey.
Saltwater crocodiles can lie in wait like this for up
to seven hours.
What are the largest crocodiles on Earth?
There are many folk tales about monstrous Crocs, but only
a few verified giants.
Saltwater crocodiles were haunted mercilessly in the decades before they
became protected species, so modern giants are rare.
Here, we'll take a look at three of the largest
saltwater crocodiles ever reliably measured #1 on our list was
Gargantuan crocodile in the Wild.
In 2017, a passerby spotted a deceased saltwater crocodile floating
in a river in northern Queensland, Australia.
Saltwater crocodiles are a protected species, meaning it is illegal
to kill them.
Unfortunately though, when crocodile experts inspected the body, they found
that the mystery croc had been shot to death with
a large caliber rifle.
Only this was no normal crocodile.
When measured, the salty in question turned out to be
one of the largest saltwater crocodiles in the world.
The nameless behemoth measured just over 17 feet.
Had he been allowed to live and continue growing, he
just might have become the largest saltwater crocodile on Earth.
Still, experts agree that this unfortunate crocodile was one of
the largest wild salties seen in more than three decades.
Cassius, The title of the largest living saltwater crocodile on
Earth, belongs to a croc named Cassius.
Cassius currently lives in a private marine park called Marineland
Melanesia off the coast of Australia.
But Cassius didn't always live behind barbed wire.
He started his life out as a wild salty.
In 1948, a man named George Craig captured Cassius and
placed him in his new tiny home for the enjoyment
of paying customers.
Today, Cassius measures 18 feet long.
He's the largest saltwater crocodile on Earth that's alive.
There's still one more crocodile who makes even Cassius look
small.
Let's check him out.
Lolong, the largest saltwater crocodile ever reliably measured, was Lolong
the crocodile from an unknown pond in the Philippines.
Lolong lived in the wild until 2011, when he was
summarily blamed for the deaths of several water buffaloes and
the disappearances of two people.
In 2011, professional crocodile hunters captured Lolong and discovered that
they had just caught the world's largest saltwater crocodile.
Lolong measured 20 feet and three inches long and nearly
2400 lbs.
He was quickly transferred to Bunawin Echo Park in the
Philippines, where spectators could purchase tickets to behold his massive
bulk.
Unfortunately for this legendary salty, this meant that the water
in his enclosure was frequently drained so that tourists could
see him.
At the time, Lolong would have been at least 70
years old, meaning that he needed the water to keep
his organs from crushing themselves due to his tremendous weight.
This practice, coupled with poor conditions, led to Lolong's death
less than two years after his capture.
Conservation The largest saltwater crocodiles in the world After decades
of legal killing of saltwater Crocs, few giants remain today.
Sightings of crocodiles over 5 meters long are exceptionally rare.
Unfortunately for the largest saltwater crocodiles on earth, they're not
always treated with the compassion and respect they deserve.
In order to preserve these magnificent creatures for the next
generation, it's important to learn about them and whenever possible,
leave them in their wild homes to live as nature
intended.
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