The Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is a large Asian-Oceanian crocodilian. It is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon DS and Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game.
Description[]
The Saltwater Crocodile, informally known as the "saltie", is the largest extant species of crocodilian, as well as the largest living reptile. Large males can grow up to 6m (20ft) and weigh 1300kg (2900lb), with females being smaller. Saltwater crocodiles occur across South-East Asia and into Northern Australia, where it typically lives in mangrove swamps, but will also swim long distances out to sea, hence their name.
Like most crocodiles, saltwater crocodiles are opportunistic ambush hunters that will eat anything they can catch. Juveniles will eat insects and amphibians, whilst adults will prey on fish and mammals, typically ambushing them when the prey comes to the water to drink. It is one of the few animals to have a partial immunity to the poison of the invasive cane toad, and one of the few large predators to actively attack humans.
Zoo Tycoon[]
The saltwater crocodile is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon and is available in the base game. It is not adoptable in Freeform mode until March 1. It is present in several scenarios, including Forest Zoo.
The saltwater crocodile is a Salt Water animal and requires mostly salt water in its exhibit along with some dirt to rest on. They are easy to breed and will produce two young at a time, but will also only tolerate three adult animals in their exhibit at any time, so once the babies have grown up, the player will either have to build new exhibits for one of them or sell them. With the addition of the Marine Mania expansion pack, the saltwater crocodile can use tanks as part of a hybrid exhibit.
The saltwater crocodile cannot reach maximum habitat suitability in the base game, however with the addition of Marine Mania the player gains two ways to get the saltwater crocodile's habitat suitability to 100%.
The first method is to simply replace the Water Reed with Beach Grass as Beach Grass gives the animal higher suitability than Water Reed. The second method is to convert the water area into a salt water tank.
 Animal Facts
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| The saltwater crocodile, or "salty," is the largest living reptile in the world. In rare cases, males can reach lengths of up to 23 feet, although lengths of 13 feet are average. Females are smaller and do not normally exceed 10 feet. This crocodile has a large head, a broad, rounded snout, and a heavy set of jaws lined with cone-shaped teeth. The skin of mature adults is generally dark, with lighter tan or gray areas and cream-colored bellies.
Saltwater crocodiles are designed for an aquatic environment, possessing clear eyelids that enable them to see underwater, flaps of skin that keep water out of their throat and ears, and webbed rear feet that aid in swimming. Like all reptiles, salties are cold-blooded. After basking in the sun, they must return to the water to cool off. A saltwater crocodile will also lie with its mouth open to release excess heat. This reptile is the direct descendent of the archosaurs, an intelligent species of dinosaur that dominated the earth during the Mesozoic Era. In addition to a large Australian population, smaller populations exist in China, the Indian sub-continent, and Southeast Asia. Individuals have been found far from their usual range, as they are able to travel long distances by sea. This seafaring ability helps to explain their wide distribution. These crocodiles are commonly found in the brackish water around coastal areas and in tidal rivers. They can also be found in the open sea or inland in freshwater rivers, swamps, and billabongs. Movement between different habitats occurs seasonally and as a result of social status. Juveniles raised in freshwater areas are eventually forced out by dominant adults, who use these areas for breeding. If unable to establish a territory in a tidal river system, they may move out to sea, circling the coast in search of another river. Females generally lay 40 to 60 eggs in mounded nests of mud and plant material. The mother guards the eggs for about three months. The young crocodile breaks out of its shell using a small temporary "egg tooth" on its snout. The mother digs the neonates out of the nest when they start chirping and carries them to the water in her mouth. The temperature at which the egg is kept determines the gender of its inhabitant. Eggs kept at 88.8 degrees Fahrenheit will produce male offspring. Hotter or colder temperatures will produce females. Only about one percent of the young survive to adulthood, due to predation both by other species and by territorial male crocodiles, which will kill and eat juveniles. Crocodiles that survive to adulthood may live as long as 100 years. Mature saltwater crocodiles take a wide variety of prey, including large wading birds, buffalo, domestic livestock, wild boar, and monkeys. The salty's feeding strategy is to lie quietly near the water's edge and pounce suddenly on unwary victims. Although other crocodiles have undeserved reputations as man-eaters, the saltwater crocodile is actually quite dangerous and will even attack people in boats. This species is responsible for a number of injuries and deaths every year. Although this species was hunted almost to extinction in the late 1960s, the future of the saltwater crocodile seems very secure today, given the large populations existing in Australia and Papua New Guinea. However, it is likely that the salty's range will be reduced through the elimination of many small populations elsewhere. Loss of human life has led to animosity towards the species, making conservation difficult. |
Gallery[]
Zoo Tycoon[]
Trivia[]
- The saltwater crocodile is the only animal in the Zoo Tycoon base game to feature only one animal in its information plaque. All the other 46 animals feature at least two or three, usually showing at least two adult animals and one of their offspring.
- The saltwater crocodile is the only animal in Zoo Tycoon that has unique animations for attacking guests both on land and in the water.
| Zoo Tycoon DS animals | |
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| Standard Animals | African Buffalo • African Elephant • African Lion • African Warthog • American Bighorn Sheep • American Bison • Arctic Wolf • Bengal Tiger • Black Bear • Black Leopard • Black Rhinoceros • California Sea Lion • Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Clouded Leopard • Common Wildebeest • Dromedary Camel • Emperor Penguin • Gemsbok • Giant Anteater • Giant Panda • Giraffe • Gray Wolf • Greater Flamingo • Grizzly Bear • Hippopotamus • Ibex • Jaguar • Leopard • Lowland Gorilla • Mandrill • Markhor • Moose • Okapi • Olive Baboon • Ostrich • Plains Zebra • Polar Bear • Red Kangaroo • Saltwater Crocodile • Siberian Tiger • Snow Leopard • Spotted Hyena • Thomson's Gazelle • White Bengal Tiger |
| Unlockable Content | Asian Elephant • Kouprey • Onager • Orangutan • Unicorn |