Freshwater crocodile images (Crocodylus johnstoni or Crocodylus johnsoni) - stock photos & fact on this croc species, also known as Johnstone's crocodile, native to northern Australia
Conservation status | Least Concern
Scientific classification | Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Chordata > Class: Reptilia > Order: Crocodilia > Family: Crocodylidae > Genus: Crocodylus > Species: C. johnstoni
Binomial name | Crocodylus johnstoni
The...
more »Freshwater crocodile images (Crocodylus johnstoni or Crocodylus johnsoni) - stock photos & fact on this croc species, also known as Johnstone's crocodile, native to northern Australia
Conservation status | Least Concern
Scientific classification | Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Chordata > Class: Reptilia > Order: Crocodilia > Family: Crocodylidae > Genus: Crocodylus > Species: C. johnstoni
Binomial name | Crocodylus johnstoni
The freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus johnstoni or Crocodylus johnsoni, also known as Australian freshwater crocodile or Johnstone's crocodile, is found in northern Australia. It has a long, narrow, tapered snout, and a powerful tail. It frequently has dark bands adorning its back and tail. Its habitat is freshwater wetlands, rivers, oxbow lakes (called billabongs in Australia), and creeks. They are not considered a threat to people, as they are small and non-aggressive compared to the more notorious saltwater crocodile of Australia. They are fast runners on land, reaching a speed of 11 miles per hour, and have a life expectancy of about 50 years. They hunt at the water's edge and underwater.
Freshies, as they are called in Australia, live in the Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia provinces of Australia. They can survive in clear or murky waters, and even in saltwater environments. However, saltwater crocodiles are believed to out-compete them in saline habitats, so freshwater crocodiles are mostly confined to areas where saltwater crocs do not go. They live in permanent bodies of water during the dry season, but actively move into seasonally created waterways during the rainy season, when they do most of their feeding. They eat fish, crustaceans, reptiles, amphibians, bats, birds and small mammals. Stones are swallowed to help in digestion.
Males reach a length of 10 feet and females 7.5 feet. They grow very slowly, and become sexually mature at about 15 years of age. The female lays up to 20 eggs, which are buried in holes in riverbanks about 50 feet away from the water. Females dig out the nest when the babies are ready to hatch, and the mother may assist them in escaping their shells. She then carries the babies to the river in her mouth. Baby crocodiles and juveniles are preyed upon by raptors, turtles, fish, and even other crocodiles. Eggs are often found and eaten by feral pigs.
This species is known by various names, including Australian freshwater crocodile, Freshie, Johnston's / Johnstons / Johnson's / Johnstone's crocodile, and even its scientific name is not set in stone, written both Crocodylus johnstoni and Crocodylus johnsoni. Apparently, a man named Johnston was the original discoverer, but the scientific name was misspelled johnsoni, It was later amended to johnstoni, now the most common designation in scientific texts, but the older version, johnsoni, still has its adherents.
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