Animal Diaries Archive

Mossman's Profile

15 October 2004

Mossman is an impressive-looking crocodile. At twelve feet in length he has reached the size where he could take down large mammals such as pigs, cows, horses and Asian Water Buffalo. This bloke has a big head. Large penetrating teeth protrude from a jaw that has three thousand pounds per square inch jaw pressure - one of nature's most powerful weapons. This guy can smash through bone like we eat toast at breakfast time. Not that he is slow; he can hit so hard and fast that animals with really quick reflexes like kangaroos and dingos are well and truly on the menu.

Weighing in at around 450kg, Mossman is in fantastic condition. Not particularly fat but with enough condition to sustain him through the harder months, Mossman could probably go for 12 months without eating a single thing. He would be a very hungry lad, but as he is a reptile and gets the energy he needs to warm his blood from the sun, he only needs a fraction of the food mammals like us need. At his size, Mossman would be looking to set up his own territory and find himself a girlfriend. We haven't given Mossman a girlfriend as yet. He has only been at Australia Zoo for 12 months and we want him to settle in and become comfortable before introducing him to a female.

Mossman is one of our most intelligent crocodiles. He is particularly cautious, cunning and very calculating. All good reasons to respect the big bloke and remind us that in the water and at the water's edge is a very dangerous place to hang out in croc territory.