Crocodilians: Natural History & Conservation: Crocodiles, Caimans, Alligators, Gharials

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Crocodilian images which reveal fascinating stories told from a visual perspective.

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"Meet my mother!"

When you're only 30cm long, even if you're a saltwater crocodile, the world can be a big, scary place. If you're a hatchling crocodile, you're dinner on somebody's menu. Less than 1 in 100 hatchlings make it to breeding age, so they need all the protection they can get. For the first few months of its life, this baby saltwater crocodile stays close to its clutch mates. They form what's called a crêche - a hatchery group of babies guarded by the female parent. If danger threatens, loud distress calls are used to bring the mother to their aid. Of course, for the ultimate in protection, there's nothing like riding around on your mother's head. Nobody messes with mum!