TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN (Australia) 20 January 06 Croc breeding heaven (Richard Hannay)
Hundreds of razor sharp teeth and the pitter-patter of little claws will be welcomed soon by Billabong Sanctuary wildlife rangers.
The sanctuary's saltwater crocodile population is expected to expand considerably, with many of the creatures hatching under the care of Billabong rangers.
Billabong Sanctuary manager Chris Pacey said six breeding pairs of the saltwater crocodiles contributed to their large collection of eggs.
"We have about 250 crocodile eggs incubating at the moment," Mr Pacey said.
"From these eggs we should have about 150 hatchlings in roughly 75 days' time."
Mr Pacey said they were expecting a predominantly male clutch of baby crocs.
"We incubate the eggs at about 31.5C to ensure they are born male," he said.
"Male crocs tend to grow faster and get heaps bigger, making them more appealing for eco-tourism operators."
Mr Pacey said collecting the precious eggs was a potentially dangerous practice.
"The female crocs tend to get a bit aggro around their nests," he said.
"We slip a noose around the top jaw of the mother crocs and move them from the nest area."
Mr Pacey said moving the guardian mothers away from their nests was a harmless process.
"The removal job is done by rangers with only safety, not spectacle, in mind."
Mr Pacey said the young hatchlings would more than likely end up as guests at other nature reserves around the nation.
"The baby crocs form a good barter system for us," he said.
"Last year we traded 100 hatchlings with another nature park for two koalas.
"Hopefully this time we can get a new wombat for Billabong Sanctuary.
"We want to continue our successful wombat breeding program this year."
Mr Pacey admitted part of the success of the sanctuary's breeding program was due to a senior citizen within the crocodile population.
"Our oldest breeding male, Snappy Tom, is 60 years old," he said.
"He'll continue to be part of the breeding program until he's about 80.
"And he does it all without Viagra."
Croc breeding heaven