Crocodiles are fascinating reptiles that have existed for millions of years. As cold-blooded predators, they have evolved special adaptations to survive in aquatic environments. One of the most intriguing aspects of crocodile life history is how crocodile mothers carry and protect their young.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Female crocodiles carry their eggs and newly hatched babies in their mouths to transport them safely from nest to water.
In this comprehensive article, we will explore the remarkable methods crocodiles use to carry their vulnerable babies, including how the female builds a nest, incubates the eggs, helps the hatchlings out of their shells, gently transports them in her jaws to water, and protects the young for their first few months of life.
We will also look at the crocodile anatomy that enables this nurturing behavior.
Nest Building and Egg Laying
Selecting a Nest Site
Crocodiles are very particular when it comes to selecting a site for their nest. The nesting area must provide certain conditions that will increase the chances of hatching success. Some important factors crocodiles consider include:
- Elevation – They prefer elevated areas safe from flooding
- Concealment – Areas with dense vegetation help hide the nest from predators
- Sun exposure – Nests need warmth from the sun to incubate the eggs
- Soil texture – Sandy banks are easier for digging nest holes
Interestingly, female crocodiles exhibit high site fidelity, often returning to the same general nesting area year after year. Their excellent spatial memory helps guide them back to favorable spots across seasons.
Constructing the Nest Mound
Once an ideal area is selected, the hard work begins. The expectant mother crocodile starts by digging a hole in the ground or sand using her hind legs. This hole forms the egg chamber and is excavated to be about 2-3 feet deep.
She will then begin transporting mouthfuls of decomposing plant material from the surrounding area to mound on top of the chamber.
This decomposing vegetation helps generate heat as it rots which will warm the eggs. The size of the mound depends on the size of the female, but they are generally 3-6 feet wide and 1-2 feet tall. The female may enlist a male in helping construct the nest mound.
With two crocodiles transporting material, the chore goes much faster!
Depositing the Eggs
Once satisfied with the nest, the female crocodile will start laying her eggs inside the chamber. Using her back legs, she carefully drops each egg into the hole, sometimes rolling them gently with her snout. Depending on the species, she may lay between 20-90 eggs total!
Amazingly, crocodiles can control the sex of their offspring by regulating the temperature of incubation. Warmer nests tend to produce males while cooler nests produce more females. After all the eggs are laid, the female will use her hind legs to cover the chamber opening with leaves, twigs, and mud to help insulate the nest.
Incubation and Hatching
Extended Incubation Period
Crocodiles have an exceptionally long incubation period compared to other reptiles. The eggs are incubated for around 80-90 days before they hatch. The extended incubation time allows the embryos to fully develop inside the eggs before hatching.
The mother crocodile carefully regulates the temperature and humidity inside the nest during incubation to ensure proper embryonic development. She may even help the hatchlings break out of their shells when it’s time to emerge from the eggs.
Temperature Regulation of the Nest
Crocodile mothers go to great lengths to maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels in the nest. They use vegetation and soil to insulate the eggs and trap heat. By opening or closing the nest, the mother can regulate air flow and adjust the temperature as needed.
Cooler nest temperatures around 30°C tend to produce more male hatchlings, while warmer temperatures around 33°C result in more females. This temperature-dependent sex determination allows crocodiles to naturally balance the sex ratio of newborns.
The mother may even carry hatchlings in her mouth to a water source if the nest becomes too hot.
Pipping and Hatching
Towards the end of incubation, the baby crocodiles start “pipping” – they use their egg tooth to break through the shell from the inside. The egg tooth falls off shortly after hatching. Hatching can take 24-48 hours to fully emerge from the eggs.
The mother may help the hatchlings by gently rolling the eggs in her mouth to crack the shell. She may even carry the newborns to the water in her mouth. Hatching success rates in the wild are only about 10-50% due to predators, flooding, extreme temperatures, and other factors.
But under controlled conditions, most eggs successfully hatch healthy baby crocodiles ready to take on the world!
Transporting the Hatchlings
Gently Picking Up the Babies
When crocodile hatchlings first emerge from their eggs, the mother crocodile will gently pick them up in her jaws to transport them to the water. She has to be incredibly delicate, as the babies are tiny and fragile creatures, usually under 7 inches long.
Using her mouth and tongue, the mother lift each wriggling newborn baby and place them securely between her jaws without harming them.
According to wildlife experts, female crocodiles have special receptors in their jaws that allow them to sense the amount of pressure they apply. This helps prevent them from accidentally crushing the young hatchlings.
Some species like the Nile crocodile may even carry the babies delicately balanced across their tongue, though this makes vocal communication difficult.
Carrying Them in Her Jaws
Once the baby crocodiles are gently secured in her jaw, the mother will carry them from the nest to the safety of the water. She may transport one baby at a time or up to three, depending on the species and size of the hatchlings.
For instance, massive 20 foot long saltwater crocodiles have been observed carrying three babies crossed carefully in their jaws down to the river shore.
The mother crocodile keeps her mouth partially open while carrying, likely to allow the babies to breathe during transport. However, she has to clamp down just firmly enough so that the hatchlings don’t wiggle free and fall to the ground where predators may snatch them up.
It’s a delicate balancing act that the mother has honed after millennia of instinct.
Releasing them in the Water
Once at the water’s edge, the Nile crocodile mother will gently set the babies down in the shallows. Here the hatchlings will bob at the surface for several minutes, orienting themselves to their new watery home.
Their mother watches over them attentively, protecting her babies from any threats while allowing them to take their first unsteady swims. Within a few weeks, the infants will venture out and disperse into deeper waters.
For saltwater crocodile mothers in Australia’s Northern Territory, releasing the babies may involve a more abrupt dumping! High speed cameras have filmed females emerging from land and tossing up to three foot long juveniles out of their mouths and directly into the water.
Despite the rough release, the babies always land unharmed and immediately begin swimming away upon contact with the water. Perhaps after nearly three months of carrying up to 80 growing eggs, the mothers may be ready for the kids to venture out on their own!
Protecting the Young
Allowing Them to Ride on Her Back
When crocodile babies, called hatchlings, first emerge from their eggs, they are small, vulnerable targets for predators. To keep them safe, the mother crocodile allows the hatchlings to ride on her back, shielded between the bony plates and ridges of her armor-like scales (How amazing and thoughtful of crocodile moms!).
Up to 20 babies can fit on one mother’s back at a time. They will cling to her for protection for their first 1-2 years until they are large enough to better fend for themselves.
Defending Against Predators
The maternal crocodile fiercely guards her little ones from harm. According to research from the University of Maryland (source), she may hide them underwater tucked beneath her body or ferociously chase away intruders.
Mother crocs have even been observed gently carrying wayward hatchlings in their mouths and placing them back on their backs. Now that’s dedication!
If confronted, the protective mother charges attackers with jaws agape and inflicts vicious bites to scare them away. This helps ensure the survival rate for her offspring is as high as possible in their vulnerable early months.
Group Living for Added Protection
Crocodiles are social creatures who often live together in groups called floats. These can range from just a few individuals up to huge gatherings of over 1,000! By living together communally, the crocs have strength in numbers and can cooperate to defend their young as an extended family unit.
Researchers have observed crocodiles working together to encircle their float’s babies in the center of their group for safety. The mothers take shifts patrolling the perimeter while the hatchlings play together under supervised protection (It’s like croc daycare!).
If any threat approaches, the females signal danger with splashing and vocal calls until the intruder retreats.
| Average clutch size | 20-50 eggs |
| Hatchling survival rate with mom’s protection | Up to 95% |
By selflessly working as a float herd and allowing their young to shelter on their bodies, mother crocodiles demonstrate amazing devotion. Their attentive care in the critical early months helps the next generation of crocs thrive.
Unique Crocodile Adaptations
Egg Teeth
One of the most amazing adaptations of crocodile hatchlings is their egg tooth. This temporary razor-sharp tooth on the tip of their snouts helps them break out of their shells when it’s time to hatch. Without it, they would be trapped inside and unable to survive.
Once free of the egg, the tooth falls off after a few days. Nature has perfectly equipped these little reptiles for the monumental task of hatching.
Sensitive Jaw Muscles
Crocodiles have specialized jaw muscles that allow them to clamp down with 3,000 pounds per square inch of force, but also sense subtle vibrations in the water. Thesesensitive tissues enable crocodiles to detect even the slightest movement of potential prey.
This gives them an advantage when hunting at night or in murky water. The crocodile’s ability to combine brute strength with sensory precision is one of the keys to its prehistoric success.
Mild Temperament
Despite their fearsome reputation, crocodiles are often calm and docile around their own kind. Their nervous systems are slower than those of mammals, making them less prone to overt aggression. While males may fight violently over territories and mates, a crocodile mother is a model of tenderness.
She gently carries her hatchlings to the water in her jaws, cradling them to keep them safe from harm. For creatures so ancient and formidable, crocodiles can be surprisingly gentle giants.
Conclusion
In summary, female crocodiles utilize ingenious methods powered by evolutionary adaptations to carry and protect their offspring through the most vulnerable stages of life. The strong nest building and incubation instincts combined with specialized anatomy enable her to gently transport the babies in her jaws.
The maternal protection continues for several months as the hatchlings grow. This remarkable process has ensured the survival of crocodilians for millions of years.
