Saltwater Crocodile
The Crocodylus Porosus or the saltwater crocodile, also known as the estuarine crocodile or, more colloquially, as a “saltie”, is the largest living reptile. It is also the largest terrestrial predator in the world, with some bull males being observed with a length of 6.7 meters (22 feet) and weighing even 2,000 kg or more (4,400 pounds). Females tend to be smaller than males, rarely passing 3 meters in length. While its name implies that this crocodile inhabits saltwater swamps and lakes, it can also be found in any freshwater area that gives it access to the warmth and food sources it needs.
The saltwater crocodile is the apex predator of any region it inhabits. It will feed on just about any creature smaller than it and even large mammals that are comparable in size. While the crocodile can be a voracious predator, it can also live comfortably for a prolonged period of time without any intake of food at all, and frequently does this in winter or draught periods when prey might be scarce. Large saltwater crocodiles wait in stagnant waters and will devour nearly any creature that tries to cross the water, including other apex predators such as sharks.
One of the most distinguishing features of the saltwater crocodile are its massive jaws. The bite of this crocodile has been shown to be the most powerful of any living creature, capable of easily crushing a full-grown bovine skull. Despite the massive musculature of the jaws, designed for biting and rending prey, the crocodile has fairly week muscles dedicated to opening its jaw, and several layers of duct tape are sufficient to keep its mouth shut.
Crocodylus Porosus mates in the wet season. These reptiles have a highly sophisticated mating ritual that includes advertisement and courtship leading to copulation. The level of maternal care that the female crocodile exhibits for its young is an unusual characteristic of these reptiles. Once laid, eggs are protected by the mother ferociously. Another unusual characteristic of this crocodile is that the temperature that the eggs experience during incubation determines the gender of the resulting offspring. This can often lead to gender disparity within generations of saltwater crocodiles in a certain area. Low temperatures tend to produce female offspring, and higher temperatures produce male offspring.