Small females get eaten

Press, 11 October 1985, Page 12

Small females get eaten

Size, rather than age, seems to determine when a female crocodile is ready to mate. Crocodile farmers find that whpn a fpmalo

reaches about 7ft — a little over two metres — a male will take her as a partner. Under that size, regardless of age, the male may eat her instead as Zimbago did. On the farms, females reach breeding size in about six years; in the wild it may take up to 12 years. Few living creatures can rival the growth of the crocodile. From tiny beginnings — weighing about 125 grams — an old male croc may reach 500 kg — a weight increase of 4000 times.

Commercial farming of crocodiles began about 20 years ago. Farms are helping to preserve the species which was being hunted to extinction in the wilds in many parts of Africa. The farms are also helping research into crocodile biology and lifstyles. The skin of a crocodile is worth more than ?200. Much of the meat is edible, the tail especially tastes rather like crayfish. Many young crocs are also being returned to the wilds to stock lakes and rivers. As scavengers, they have an important place in the ecology.