Crocodile
Farming
Reptiles
Crocodiles
are large reptiles found in tropical climates where the temperatures
are very warm all
year round. They have longer, narrower snouts than alligators,
and the 4th tooth of the lower jaw is outside when the mouth is
closed. There are two kinds of crocodile, the estuarine (or saltwater)
and the freshwater. Their long, flattened tail moves from
side to side and propels them through the water, with their legs
by their sides. The legs are short with webbed toes, five on the
front legs and four on the back legs. On land, crocodiles can
run very quickly, lifting their bodies up off the ground. The
eyes and nostrils are on the top part of the head so that they
can lie in the water almost completely hidden from view.
Feeding
Crocodiles have very strong jaws. They swallow their food whole
or in large chunks. Crocodiles grab their prey and move to deep
water, where they roll over to drown the animal. They can leap
high out of the water to reach their prey if necessary.
Farming
They are farmed
in Thailand, and the skin is made into leather products such as
shoes and bags. The meat is sold for food. One of the largest
crocodile farms in the world is near Bangkok, at the mouth of
the Chao Praya River.
Farming process
Female crocodiles
lay about 50 eggs in a nest. On a crocodile farm, the eggs are
removed and placed in an incubator to hatch. The eggs hatch in
about 60 days.
The young crocodiles
are kept in enclosures until they are about 1.5 metres long.
Acknowledge this
source in your bibliography like this:
A Trip
toThailand (2001).
[Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
updated March 2001