Issue 6
8
April 2013
Habitat Siamese crocodiles occur in a wide range of freshwater habitats, including slow-moving rivers and streams, lakes, seasonal oxbow lakes, marshes and swamplands. Most adults do not exceed 3 m (10 ft) in length, although hybrids in captivity can grow much larger. Pure, unhybridised examples of this species are generally unaggressive towards humans, and unprovoked attacks are unknown.
Biology Adults feed mainly on fish, but may also eat amphibians, reptiles and small mammals. Very little is known about the natural history of this species in the wild, but females do appear to build mound-nests constructed from scraped-up plant debris mixed with mud. In captivity, these crocodiles breed during the wet season (April to May), laying between 20 and 50 eggs, which are then guarded until they hatch. After incubation, the female will assist her young as they break out of their eggs and then carry the hatchlings to the water in her jaws.
SIAMESE CROCODILE IN DIFFERENT POSES