New Guinea crocodile

The New Guinea crocodile (Crocodylus novaeguineae) is a small crocodile that lives on the island of New Guinea, north of the mountain ridge that runs down the middle of the island. It is different from the population south of the ridge, which is now called Hall's New Guinea crocodile (C. halli).

New Guinea crocodiles mostly live in freshwater swamps and lakes. They are mostly active at night and eat fish and other small animals. When it is time for babies, a female crocodile builds a nest from vegetation and guards it. She also helps the baby crocodiles after they hatch.

In the middle of the 20th century, many of these crocodiles were hunted for their skin. But thanks to conservation efforts, they are now raised on ranches. The International Union for Conservation of Nature says the New Guinea crocodile is of "Least Concern", meaning it is not in immediate danger.

Taxonomy and etymology

The New Guinea crocodile was first described in 1928 by an American scientist named Karl Patterson Schmidt. It was once thought to have two types, one found in Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea, and another in the Philippines. But now, most scientists believe the Philippine crocodile is a separate species.

The name Crocodylus comes from Greek words meaning “pebble” and “worm,” describing the crocodile’s bumpy back. The name novaeguineae means “of New Guinea” in Latin. Another close relative is Hall’s New Guinea crocodile, which lives south of the New Guinea highlands and was recognized as its own species in 2019. Both crocodiles look very similar but have differences in their genes and skull shapes.

Phylogeny

The genus Crocodylus probably began in Africa and then spread to Southeast Asia and the Americas. Evidence suggests it separated from its closest relative, an extinct crocodile from Madagascar, about 25 million years ago.

Description

The New Guinea crocodile is a smaller crocodile species. Males can grow up to 3.5 meters (11 feet) long, and females up to 2.7 meters (8.9 feet). Most are smaller and can weigh up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds). They have a strong bite.

These crocodiles are usually grey to brown. They have darker markings on their tails and bodies that fade as they get older. They have special ridges in front of their eyes and small, grainy scales on the back of their necks. When young, their snouts are pointed and narrow, but they get wider as they grow. They look similar to the Philippine crocodile and the Siamese crocodile, but their snouts are shorter and broader than the freshwater crocodile of northern Australia.

Distribution and habitat

The New Guinea crocodile lives in freshwater swamps, marshes, and lakes in northern New Guinea, especially in the interior areas. It sometimes goes into brackish waters but is rarely seen in coastal regions and does not share areas with the larger saltwater crocodile. This crocodile was first found near the Sepik River in northern Papua New Guinea.

A related crocodile, Hall's New Guinea crocodile, lives in the southern half of the island, from southeastern Papua New Guinea to the Indonesian provinces of South Papua. The two types are separated by the New Guinea Highlands, a mountain range running down the center of the island. DNA analysis shows they are distinct species with some differences in their appearance and behavior.

Behaviour

New Guinea crocodiles live mostly in water and are active at night. During the day, they stay underwater with just their eyes and noses showing. They use their strong tails to move quickly in the water. On land, they like shady, thick areas and often rest together during the day but spread out at night to find food.

These crocodiles grow up to be about 2 metres long when they are ready to have babies. After mating, they lay their eggs about two weeks later. In the north, they lay eggs between August and October when it is dry. They build a floating nest from plants in shallow water. In the south, they lay eggs during the wet season and often build the nest on land. The mother stays close to the nest until the eggs hatch. When the baby crocodiles hatch, their parents help carry them gently to open water.

Baby New Guinea crocodiles eat small animals like insects, spiders, tadpoles, snails, frogs, and small fish. As they grow, they eat bigger animals like fish, shrimp, crabs, snakes, birds, and small mammals. They catch their food by quickly moving their heads to grab it with their sharp teeth and then swallow it whole. These crocodiles are very quick and can jump out of the water to catch bats, birds, and fish.

Both adult and baby crocodiles make many different sounds.

Status and conservation

The New Guinea crocodile was listed as "Vulnerable" in 1986 and 1988, but later changed to "Least Concern" in 1996 because it lives in a large area with plenty of space and seemed common. Its status has not been checked again since then. It is protected under rules to stop people from taking too many away.

In the past, people hunted these crocodiles for their skin, which is valuable. This happened a lot in the 1950s and 1960s, and the crocodiles were in danger of disappearing. Laws were made around 1970 to help protect them. Today, rules in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea control how many crocodiles can be taken and how big they must be. Some baby crocodiles are still raised in safe places to help their numbers grow.

2018 killing of New Guinea crocodiles

Main article: Crocodile attack

In July 2018, a man was hurt by a saltwater crocodile at a farm in West Papua, Indonesia. After this, locals removed many crocodiles from the farm.