New Guinea Crocodile
Encyclopedia
The New Guinea crocodile (Crocodylus novaeguineae) is a small species of crocodile
found on the island of New Guinea
.
(C. mindorensis) and Siamese crocodile
(C. siamensis). C. mindorensis was once held to be a subspecies (C. novaeguineae mindorensis) of the New Guinea crocodile, but is now considered to be separate.
, it is rarely to be found in brackish coastal waters, and never in the presence of the competing saltwater crocodile
(C. porosus). Two populations of C. novaeguineae are known on the island, separated by a mountain range; DNA analysis
has revealed these to be genetically separate populations.
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
found on the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
.
Description
Crocodylus novaeguineae grows to a length of up to 3.5 m (11.5 ft) for males and 2.7 m (8.9 ft) for females, although most specimens are rather smaller. The body is grey-brown in colour, with dark brown to black markings on the tail. The snout is pointed and relatively narrow during juvenile stages and becomes wider as the animal matures. It bears a physical similarity to the nearby Philippine crocodilePhilippine crocodile
The Philippine crocodile is a crocodile found in the Philippines. It is also known as the Mindoro crocodile and the Philippine freshwater crocodile. In the Philippines, it is strictly prohibited to kill a crocodile, but its status is critically endangered from exploitation and unsustainable...
(C. mindorensis) and Siamese crocodile
Siamese Crocodile
Siamese crocodile is a freshwater crocodile native to Indonesia , Brunei, East Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam...
(C. siamensis). C. mindorensis was once held to be a subspecies (C. novaeguineae mindorensis) of the New Guinea crocodile, but is now considered to be separate.
Habitat
The primarily nocturnal crocodile is to be found in the freshwater swamps and lakes of New Guinea, particular in the interior. Although tolerant of saltwaterSeawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
, it is rarely to be found in brackish coastal waters, and never in the presence of the competing saltwater crocodile
Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile, also known as estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles...
(C. porosus). Two populations of C. novaeguineae are known on the island, separated by a mountain range; DNA analysis
Genetic fingerprinting
DNA profiling is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier...
has revealed these to be genetically separate populations.