Abstract
The number of Estuarine Crocodiles 'Crocodylus porosus' in the Northern Territory, Australia is increasing. This has led to an increase in interaction with humans and livestock. Whilst there have been a number of studies on the distribution and movement of crocodiles in Australia, little has been recorded detailing movement patterns, and less evaluating the technical effectiveness of employing satellite tracking technology on this species. We attached an Argos satellite transmitter to a 4.2 m male Estuarine Crocodile captured in the Adelaide River, approximately 100 km east of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. During the six month study period (July to December 2005), the crocodile showed definite signs of home range fidelity, staying within a Minimum Convex Polygon of 63 km2 and a 95% kernel area of 8 km2. The average daily movement was 5.9 km day-1 with increased movement during the month of December. A high percentage of useable locations (65%) were received from the Platform Terminal Transmitter, with an increased number of location readings occurring between 2000 and 0700 hours. Given the aggressiveness of this species and the hostile environments in which they live, the Argos system is a useful method for tracking their movement. The results of this study have provided preliminary information improving our understanding of the home range and behaviour of a large male crocodile.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
