With World Crocodile Day rolling around tomorrow, the Australian Reptile Park are thrilled to announce that the newest member of their reptilian family is making his grand debut – Lyle the Saltwater crocodile! In recognition of this special awareness day, the juvenile croc will be featured in the daily Reptile Show this World Crocodile Day.
Whilst only a juvenile at three years of age, the saltwater crocodile currently measures in at around two feet in length and weighs approximately one kilo. Compared to the Park’s massive 57-year-old crocodile, Elvis, who measures in at 4.75 metres and weighs over 500kg, it’s safe to say that Lyle has a bit of growing to do and has a long way to go before reaching his counterpart’s size and strength.
Alongside his long-lost cousin Elvis, the crocodile, Lyle acts as an ambassador for saltwater crocodiles Jake Meney, Head of Reptiles at the Australian Reptile Park, states, “Lyle will assist us in educating the public about the species as he stars in the daily Reptile Show. Visitors will learn all about saltwater crocodiles, including their adaptations and the threats they face in the wild.”
“The team at the Australian Reptile Park are unbelievably stoked to have another saltwater crocodile in our collection. For a long time, Elvis has been the only saltwater crocodile to live at the Park, so it’s exciting to know that Elvis now has a little bit of competition on his hands”, chuckled Jake Meney, Head of Reptiles at the Australian Reptile Park.
Every year, World Crocodile Day is held on 17 June to raise global awareness of endangered crocodile species and the plight crocodiles face from illegal poaching for their valuable hides and loss of habitat.
Saltwater crocodiles were once hunted to the brink of extinction in Australia but following their status to be legally protected in QLD, NT and WA, their numbers have made a full recovery and they are now listed as ‘least concern’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Despite both deriving from the Crocodylidae family, saltwater crocodiles have a few distinct differences that set them apart from their cousins, the freshwater crocodile. Saltwater crocodiles like Lyle, can grow between 3-5 metres in length once they reach adulthood, have a broad snout and build, whilst freshwater crocodiles grow up to 3 metres in length once adults, are slender-snouted and have a considerably smaller build than their counterparts.
In addition to seeing Lyle in the Park’s well-known Reptile Show, visitors can also witness the epic power of Elvis, Australia’s crankiest crocodile, during the Elvis show at 1:30pm on weekends and school holidays.
