How Old Are Nile Crocodiles When They Start Breeding?
Nile crocodiles take a while to grow up. They are 12 or 15 years old by the time they reach sexual maturity and by that age they are between two and three metres long. They are also pretty weighty, being between 70 and 100 kilograms. In the mating season, the first events that take place involve the mature males fighting each other for dominance. They threaten each other by blowing bubbles out of the water through their mouths, arching their necks and thrashing their tails about in the water to create lots of spray. This bubbling and thrashing display is accompanied by lots of groaning and growling and the male may actually submerge himself to blow water through his nostrils to increase the splashing. This is purely a theatrical display but it warns the weaker male of the power of the more dominant male, without causing harm to either. Once the display has proved who is the top crocodile, the loser scuttles off, with the dominant male giving chase, but never really catching up.
