Although feared in nearly every place they live, crocodiles—including the freshwater species Crocdylus mindorensis
that is unique to the Philippines—are among the best of parents. After a long and often noisy courtship,
the female Philippine crocodile builds a large, deep nest of layered soil and vegetation, which is heated by
decomposing plants. She then lays as many as 40 eggs, which she tends carefully for about 18 hours daily for
the next three months, adding, removing, and shifting soil and vegetation to maintain just the right temperature
for her offspring. As hatching time approaches, she becomes increasingly aggressive, chasing away other crocodiles
and any potential predators. When the young emerge from their eggshells, their chirping calls alert the mother,
who carefully digs into the nest to release them from the layers of soil and vegetation overhead.
Philippine crocodiles are a dwarf species, usually less than two meters in length, although rare individuals may
reach nearly three meters. They live in freshwater lakes, rivers and marches, where they feed on fish, water birds,
lizards and snakes. Babies prey on insects, small fish and frogs. In contrast, the estuarine crocodiles that live
in brackish and salt water in the Philippines and elsewhere from Asia to Australia typically reach four to five
meters in length and feed on large fish and turtles.
Both species have been severely over-hunted in the Philippines. Their populations are additionally threatened
by toxic wastes from mines, destruction of marshes riverine habitats, and the conversion of lakes for fish-ponds.
Wild Philippine crocodiles, which once numbered well over 10,000, were reduced to fewer than 1,000 by 1982.
At last count in 1993, there were only about 100 individuals left in the wild. Although they were once widespread
throughout the Philippines, the only viable wild populations are in Minadao and possibly Mindoro.
