How fast do crocodilians grow?
Compared with many other animals, crocodilians grow rapidly. Many species increase in length at least 20 to 30 times from hatchlings, and increase in weight by at least 1,000 times within 10 to 20 years. However, growth rate varies significantly between species, and also between individuals of each species. Key factors including temperature, frequency of feeding, quality of food and even social factors can result in major differences in growth rates and hence maximum size. Poor growth rates can often indicate problems with husbandry, but it is not so simple. Even a group of individuals kept in identical conditions will exhibit a certain degree of variation. Despite this variation, all crocodilians show a fairly typical growth pattern: initial growth rates are rapid, often for several years, but slowly begin to decline as the animal matures. It takes many years for growth to cease entirely and many larger crocodilians appear to grow continuously over their lives, albeit very slowly in l
