Crocodile Mothers

Crocodile mom releases baby from egg

At the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park a Siamese crocodile releases a baby from the egg. 

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ScienceDaily (June 25, 2008) — For the first time, researchers have shown that the pre-hatching calls of baby Nile crocodiles actually mean something to their siblings and to their mothers. The calls--which are perfectly audible to humans and sound like "umph! umph! umph!"--tell the others in the nest that it's time to hatch, according to the report in the June 23rd issue of Current Biology. Those cries also tell the mother croc to start digging up the nest.

Mum Crocs carry their babies from the nest to water, safely in their mouths, where they release them in the shallows to hide in the reeds.  The mother croc lays close by to protect the babies from herons and other preditors.

 This may be the only video footage in the world of a crocodile feeding its young. This is an adult Siamese Crocodile at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park allowing her offspring to eat meat from her mouth. www.alligatorfarm.com

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