It's May, and the last of the saltwater crocodile eggs are starting to hatch. This little hatchling doesn't look too enthusiastic about getting up just yet, though. Saltwater crocodile eggs take around 80 days to hatch, although incubation time is influenced by incubation temperature - warmer nests have faster development. Once the embryo's metabolism reaches a stage where available resources (e.g. oxygen) cannot be fulfilled, it's time to hatch! Up to 30 minutes before hatching, our intrepid baby crocodile starts to vocalise - a "pre-hatching" call which not only alerts the adult female, but also triggers nearby crocs to call from within their eggs. Upon hearing these musical pleas, the adult female walks determinedly over to the nest and begins to break it open - digging into the hardened mud and vegetation with her claws, and biting great chunks off using her jaws. It's clear why the hatchlings call the adult to open the nest - they'd never be able to break out by themselves.
Category
🐳
Animals