Aussie saltwater crocs are homebodies

[Owlscrying]

Brisbane, Australia - Australian researchers have found there is no place like home for the country's fearsome saltwater crocodiles.

A published survey, found that three crocodiles captured in the wild, fitted with satellite-tracking devices and relocated miles from their capture sites, all found their way home.

One even swam nearly 250 miles around the tip of eastern Australia in 20 days.

The research team came from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Australia Zoo of wildlife TV personality Steve Irwin, who was killed by a stingray last year.

Researchers were staggered by the journeys of the crocodiles but they had yet to understand how they navigated their way back home.

"Crocodiles are more closely related to birds, so maybe they are using similar navigational tools such as magnetic fields and smell.

go

[Spara]

Yes I remember hearing about this while it was happening about 3 years ago it started... quite amazing!

Professor Franklin said the study showed that moving problem crocodiles away to remote river systems was not effective.

"Moving crocodiles to isolated waterholes which are surrounded by land might prove to be an effective impediment to them returning home."

UQ News

All three crocodiles used for the research returned to their original capture sites. They all behaved similarly after release, each making apparently random movements around the release site for periods between 10 and 108 days, and then taking the most direct coastal route back to their capture sites. Once back at their capture sites, all showed strong site fidelity, remaining in that vicinity for the remainder of the tracking period.

PloS ONE Research Journal

Edited September 27, 2007 by Spara

[snuffypuffer]

Can you imagine a homing crocodile? Funky, ain't it?

[AmazingAtheist]

I live in Australia annnd ..

I have NO idea as to why they want to come back!

Lol .

[Spara]

There's no place like home

[War Eagle]

Brisbane, Australia - Australian researchers have found there is no place like home for the country's fearsome saltwater crocodiles.

A published survey, found that three crocodiles captured in the wild, fitted with satellite-tracking devices and relocated miles from their capture sites, all found their way home.

One even swam nearly 250 miles around the tip of eastern Australia in 20 days.

go

Crocs are awesome...

They've been around relatively unchanged for millions of years, you'd think they'd know there way around by now lol!

It's been said that most of the larger Aussie Salt Water Crocs in their natural habitat out live most humans up to 70 yrs of age, some have been recorded at even longer.

Crocodiles

Edited October 1, 2007 by REBEL

[Archosaur]

Crocodiles, as archosaurs, are more closely related to birds than other reptiles. As such they may also have an avian's knack for long-distance navigation.

Other fun crock facts: They have receptors on their jaws that allow then to detect minute movement in water. They also have one the world's most powerful immune systems, including anti-biotic blood.