KNOWING PROTECTED CROCODILE SPECIES IN INDONESIA

 

First of all we have to know what a Crocodile is. Yupps, Crocodile is an animal that belongs to the Reptilia class which consists of reptile species, has scales that cover its body and is cold-blooded like a psychopet.

In the class Reptilia is divided into four orders, namely Crocodilia (Crocodile family, alligator, Caiman, and Gavial), Rhynchocephalia (Tutara), Squamata (Lizard, Snake, and snake lizard), and Testudinate (tortoise, and turtle).

Well, here what needs to be understood is that although crocodiles are reptiles, they are not lizards, friends.

In the Order Crocodilia, there are three families, namely Crocodylidae (Crocodiles), Alligatoridae (Alligators), and Gavialidae (Gharials).

Physical characteristics Animals of the Order Crocodilia are usually large and have a long tail, have a long snout and strong jaws equipped with sharp teeth, have upper body skin covered with rough and hard scales, and short and webbed feet for swimming.

Animals from the Order Crocodilia are ancient animals that have existed since the Dinosaur era, namely the Jurassic Period about 200 million years ago.

In Indonesia alone, there are actually 7 species of animals from the Order of Crocodilia and four of them are protected animals such as the Estuary Crocodile, Irian Crocodile, Siamese Crocodile, and Senyulong (not true crocodiles).

While the other three species such as the Borneo Crocodile (Crocodylus raninus) are still being debated. Some researchers say it is still a species of estuarine crocodile. And also the Sahul crocodile, which has been considered synonymous with the irian crocodile.

 The sahul crocodile is confined to the south of Papua, while the irian crocodile is in the north of the central mountains.

Next is the Philippine Crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) which was found in distribution in East and Southeast Sulawesi in 1996.

So, officially in Indonesia, there are only 4 known crocodiles that have been officially included in the list of protected animals.

The main reason why crocodiles are included in the list of protected animals is not only because of hunting and population decline, such as the example of the Falcon, also because crocodiles are dangerous animals to keep.

For example, if you want to keep a crocodile, I suggest buying it in official captivity. But before deciding to keep Crocodile better think twice. Because crocodiles are not only wild animals but also their body size can be very large.

Moreover, sometimes there are still irresponsible hobbyists, after keeping the crocodile because it is getting bigger and feels no longer strong enough to care for it, it is finally released to any river. In the end, it ends up harming other people. and the point is not how to care for it is expensive, but a sense of responsibility that is expensive.

Bro, how do you tell the difference between Estuarine, Siamese, and Irian crocodiles?

Yupps, the trick is to look at the back of its head, the Estuary Crocodile usually doesn't have scales on the back of the head, while the Irian Crocodile is not only as big as an estuarine crocodile and is darker, and the Irian Crocodile on the back of his head has four and sometimes seven scales.

Meanwhile, the Siamese Crocodile on the back of his head has two to four scales, and finally, on the head of the Siamese Crocodile, there is a thin straight line that crosses between his eyes.

Location:

Share :