Mohd Fadzliee Asmat (2015) Agonistic behavior in captive adult saltwater crocodile, crocodylus porosus. Universiti Malaysia Sabah. (Unpublished)
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Abstract
The most aggressiver eptile is Crocodylus porosus (CPO),the saltwater crocodile.CPO can tolerate saline environments and typically found in brackish water around coastal areas. The study from Charles Darwin University states the agnostic behavior is actually hard-wired since the age of juveniles until adult and CPO shows the most agony compared to the other crocodilian. However, past studies are only conducted to determine the aggression of juveniles. Therefore, observation on the behaviour of captive CPO specifically for adults is needed and in Malaysia, the ethology of CPO is still lacking. This study determined: the characteristics of captive CPO and their housing environment in Tuaran Crocodile Farm; the value of stock density related to aggression of CPO through observation at daylight, night, during feeding, and non-feeding time; and, the courtship and egg-laying behaviour, with the preferred nesting site of CPO during their mating season. The agonistic behaviour of CPO was determined in past studies, as dawn and dusk is when the species shows most aggression with tail-wagging and side-head strike (TWSHS) as its common behavior By interviews towards farm crews in Tuaran Crocodile Farm, structure details of the housing environment were determined, and, the parameters of the water from the housing and the surrounding temperature were also obtained. A thorough observation, comprising daylight and night with feeding and non-feeding time, were also conducted. The courtship and egglaying behaviours were observed with the preferences of CPO's nesting site were also profoundly explained. The behaviour observations were recorded in the data quantification according to the behaviour stated from past studies. The data obtained from the observations were then analysed using Morpurgo et al. method (1993) with rectification on data reliability using IBM SPSS Statistics2 2. Findings of the study regarding the housing environment stated that it met the requirement for sustainable captivity system of CPO with 20 ppt salinity and proper housing structure. The results revealed that captive CPO in Tuaran Crocodile Farm was most aggressive at daylight and specifically during feeding time with stock density related to aggression value equalled to 8.06 events/min observed in a density 0.3 crocodiles/m2. Its most exhibited behaviour which was TWSHS and the additional of courtship and egg-laying behaviours were scientifically stated in the study. The findings here can be used for further explanation while studying the ethology of CPO specifically on students who are interested in marine reptiles as to conduct the real study in the wild is very difficult, time consuming, and extremely dangerous.
| Item Type: | Academic Exercise |
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| Keyword: | Crocodylus porosus (CPO), saltwater crocodile, marine reptiles, behavior |
| Subjects: | S Agriculture > SF Animal culture |
| Department: | FACULTY > Faculty of Science and Natural Resources |
| Depositing User: | ADMIN ADMIN |
| Date Deposited: | 30 Jun 2016 09:53 |
| Last Modified: | 30 Oct 2017 10:05 |
| URI: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/12997 |
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