Exotic Crocodilians » Australian Reptile Park

Exotic Crocodilians
17-04-2008

Can anybody tell me what non-native crocs are kept in Australia and where. I know there are American alligators, particularly at Aust Reptile Park. Are they breeding? What is the state of play with the Philippines crocs at Melbourne?

17-04-2008

There are Brown Caiman at Malcolm Douglas's park and i think he also has nile crocs.
Anyone correct me if i am wrong...

17-04-2008

We have two American Alligators at Bredls.

17-04-2008

i didn't know about the nile crocs but pretty sure your correct re: the brown caiman ben.
i think i read there are also new guinea crocs someplace (maybe crocodylus park?), which are essentially like the philippine variety.

melbourne are yet to breed their philippine crocs as far as i know. but i'm sure they eventually intend to.

Exotic crocdillians
18-04-2008

NSW
Reptile park have and often breed American Alligators
symbio wildlife park have 10 female alligaitors (about 4year old)
Taronga Zoo have two - sex im unsure
Mogo have one gator sex unknown
Apparently oakvale fauna farm in hunter is getting some gators according to their website? however i did speak to a keeper there and they said they will probably start with freshies before gators?

VIC
Mansfield zoo have some sexes unknown
Melbourne have Phillipines - never bred, little sucess

SA
Gorge have 2 or 3 adult gators

Qld
Australia zoo have and breed gators

Hope this helps???

18-04-2008

melbourne had a couple, then i assume one died because they ended up with just one, a female. they imported six more and with a week or so three of the new ones had mysteriously died. fortunately one male survived (from memory).

due to the cold winters - they keep their crocs indoors year round. maybe this is affecting their breeding possibilities?

they are a cool crocodilian, quite small.

the zoo also keeps the dwarf "stone country" freshies..

18-04-2008

The "dwarf" fresh water crocs are quite interesting from what I had heard they only grow to around one merte long

18-04-2008

melbourne certainly are only about that size.

i think if melbourne could did a renovation/rear extention of their crocodile exhibits to get more natural light (larger skylights) and land area in there, they would probably have more success.

its a damn good reptile collection.... might start a thread on that..

18-04-2008

Sounds like a good idea, hehe

18-04-2008

I would just build the crocodiles big out door terrarium things, that visitors view from outside but the animals are inside, in their respective geographic zones. The Phillipine crocs could have an enclosure near the asian lake and the stony creek crocs could have a place near Australian Bush.

18-04-2008

Does anybody know if Bredls does or has kept Niles - my wife was sure she saw at least one about 10 years ago. I was unaware of Niles in the country.

Interesting about New Guinea crocs at Crocodylus. I remember that they had virtually every species on their wish list, maybe ten years ago.

Has Melbourne failed to get more support with the Philippines croc program with other zoos around the country. Strange scenario given how endangered the species is, falls into the recommended 'Asian taxon' and how easy it is to breed crocs in Australia (obviously not so much in Melbourne).

I assume when one says Brown caiman they mean common Spectacled. Are these the original Taronga ones (saw them as a kid circa mid 80s). Any breeding?

18-04-2008

Oops, sorry I meant to say caiman at Malcolm Douuglas' place rather than Crocodylus. It was just that I recall seeing caiman at Crocodylus 10 years ago.

18-04-2008

Oops, sorry I meant to say caiman at Malcolm Douglas' place rather than Crocodylus. It was just that I recall seeing caiman at Crocodylus 10 years ago.

19-04-2008

crocodylus had plans for philippine crocs - but they are probably waiting for melbourne to breed them!

20-04-2008

patrick,

Any more clarification on circumstances in which 6 Phillipine crocs died so profusely and in such a short window of time at Melbourne?

To my mind it has nothing to do with reptilian inexperience as the is that Melbourne's C. johnstoni diminutive from the NT (you call them Stony River freshies) have bred on numerous occassions. This group is touted as the only captive breeding group around. Incidentally, this diminutive form is now at great risk, as currently the poisonuos cane toads (introduced by farmers to control beetles' pests) are killing these freshies in significant numbers and endangering their continued survival.

I personally would suspect that the croc housing may have something to do with that. Several suggestions on this forum to that effect, but can not quite visualise the setting you have over there. Photos would be appreciated ... as I am also a reptile man of sorts!

It is all the more sad as Chris Banks has really gone far in assisting with conservation of C. mindorensis on the Phillipines, even training of Phillipine zoo keepers in 2004-2005 and asisting in surveys and stuff. The guy deserves a good ending in a successful ex situ conservation breeding programme at Melbourne.

Incidentally, EAZA has just started a Phillipine croc ex situ programme with 20+ imported!!!

So, can you give us more details on the croc habitats?

Thanx,

Jelle