Other factors may also be involved: Do the false gharials need deep, clear running water or is the muddy water in the relatively shallow earth ponds adequate? Do they need fish in their diet for the poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)? Could specific feed additives solve the problem?

From a conservation point of view this is a project that needs more attention and support. Could anybody with further insight and experience please comment? — F. W. Huchzermeyer, P. O. Box 12499, 0110 Onderstepoort, South Africa. <crocvet@mweb.co.za>.

Earth breeding ponds with breeding adults in the thickly forested enclosures. Jong's Crocodile Farm, Kuching, Malaysia. F. Huchzermayer photo.

Female Tomistoma schlegelii guarding her nest at Jong's Crocodile Farm. [Note typical position in a sunny patch at the base of a tree. Eds.]. F. Huchzermayer photo.

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[Eds. Bill Zeigler shared his 'formula' for breeding Tomistoma with us some time ago and we have subsequently suggested it to several facilities now successfully breeding this species.]

THOUGHTS ON SETTING UP A SOUND BREEDING PROGRAMS FOR TOMISTOMA. I successfully bred Tomistoma at Miami Metro Zoo, USA, in the early 90's. First, I feel that there is definitely a territorial problem when two or more males are kept together. At the same time there is also a female territorial conflict. The stress from both will lower reproductive success through infertility.

These animals live in slow moving backwaters, oxbows and areas that are choked by aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation. Most of the water is fairly shallow. This in turn allows a number of animals to live in close proximity yet maintain a small territory that keeps them visually isolated.

Second, the females are also very aggressive towards males and tend to dominate males that are smaller than the females. They take over what small pools or open water is available to them in the wild (primary hunting grounds) chasing the smaller males out. This may be a primary dispersing mechanism causing males to disperse more rapidly than in most crocs. It would be interesting to study a populated wetland area regarding dispersal of young.

What you end up with is similar to many larger terrestrial carnivores. One large male overlapping the territory of many females. This has to be taken into consideration when setting up a breeding strategy.

If I were to set up a commercial breeding program, I would place a number of females into small single enclosures of say 30 feet square. Each enclosure would be visually isolated from the other females either by being heavily vegetated or by some other physical barrier. I wouldn't worry about hormonal contact; I feel that helps the females, especially those who if by themselves would not normally cycle.

Each enclosure would have a pool, oval or odd shaped, to allow for an area in one corner to have a greater land space than the other corners to act as the nesting site. This area would always be away from all the other female enclosures. The pool would be shallow (1m) and well covered with aquatic plants.

All of these would be connected by a hallway that would allow for movement of a large male in and out of each enclosure. As I mentioned before I feel the male has to be substantially bigger than the female you are trying to breed or the female will dominate them and no breeding will take place.

Well there you have it. I would be willing to assist as a consultant any one developing a set up. - Bill Zeigler, Zeigler and Zeigler Inc. Exhibit Designs, 8440 SE. 21st Ave, Ocala, FL 34480, USA. <bzeigler@atlantic.net>.

Thailand

MORE PHOTO'S OF WILD SIAMESE CROCODILE. Following reports of recent sightings of wild crocodiles in Thailand, researchers at Wildlife Conservation Society were excited to find that a camera trap set up to record tigers and other large fauna at the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary in western Thailand had captured the first photograph of a wild Siamese crocodile.

Following up on this lead, Yosapong Temsiripong, coordinator of the Siamese crocodile reintroduction feasibility assessment supported by Crocodile Management Association of Thailand, visited the area and was able to see a wild crocodile and photograph it, although at rather long range and fuzzy focus, and submitted the photograph to the Newsletter. Unfortunately the photo was insufficiently clear to reproduce. Undismayed, Yosapong returned to the site with a longer lens and captured the excellent image that appears on our cover.

Studies are now in progress to establish whether the presence of at least one wild crocodile at the site indicates that it might suitable for reintroduction of the species. A detailed report is expected. — Editors, from correspondence with Yosapong Temsiripong, Crocodile Research Laboratory, CMAT, 336 Moo 6 Surasak, Sriracha, Chonburi, 20110, Thailand.

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WHITE ALLIGATOR FOR THAILAND. Samutprakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo added a valuable white alligator from the United States to its extensive collection of crocodilians, which includes albino or leucystic examples of several species. The specimen is one a large group of albinos originating at La Voi farm in Louisiana and now housed in several US zoos and collections.

The specimen is nine years old and about 7 feet long and was provided by Alligator Adventures of Myrtle Beach SC, USA after a long process of permitting for export. The specimen was shipped from the USA to Thailand in late October accompanied by Dr. Sam Seashole, veterinarian and part owner of Alligator Adventures, and curator Adam Smith. In Samutprakarn, Uthen Youngprapakorn, Director and also founder of Utairatch Crocodile Farm, accepted the specimen at a ceremony attended by the local governor, dignitaries and hundreds of spectators. The specimen will be kept in a temperature controlled indoor enclosure to protect it from sunburn. From Bangkok Post 28 October 2001.

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The farm mainly exports live Crocodylus porosus to zoos and safari parks. It also serves as a tourist attraction. In addition, ten breeding pairs of T. schlegelii occupy a large, ± 0.3 ha enclosure, which is densely forested (see figure) and has several earth ponds. This probably comes close to their natural habitat. Several females were found guarding their nests. However, although the egg production in this pen is fine, fertility is not. In 1999, there were three hatchlings (Fig. 5). No hatchlings were obtained from last year's production, but this year four clutches of eggs were collected after I had left. Of these four clutches three contained infertile eggs only, while the fourth clutch had 10 out of 19 fertile eggs.

This species appears to be intensely territorial. Even during my visit, males were seen chasing each other out of favorite ponds. Could it be that each breeding pair needs a large enclosure for itself? That the males are too busy keeping competitors out of their territory and do not find the time for mating? Mr. Jong told me that he intended to enlarge the present enclosure further into the adjacent forest. My suggestion to this was that he should create a new large enclosure and place only one breeding pair into it and then wait for the results.

CROCODILE SPECIALIST GROUP NEWSLETTER
vol. 20, no. 4, Oct-Dec 2001, pp. 75-79— WWW Edition

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Regional Reports

Eastern Asia, Oceania and Australia

Indonesia

MONITORING CROCODILES IN IRIAN JAYA. New surveys of C. porosus in the Fak-fak District of southwest Iran Jaya and C. novaeguineae on the middle Mamberamo river are presented in two recent reports by Helen Kurniati of the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI).

Surveys of C. porosus have been conducted on the rivers draining into Kaimana and Arguni bay approximately annually in 1990-1998 although some rivers were missed in some years and no surveys were made in 1997. Surveys using standard spotlight techniques and covering distances of 5-47 km per river were undertaken in the Barusa, Gasawi, Buruai, Garawa and Kamabu rivers and Suwiki lake.

The results indicate C. porosus remains present at all sites in mean densities ranging from 0.27 - 4.09 individuals/km with considerable variation between sites and from year to year. Survey routes are in all cases identical (located by GPS) and conducted under suitable weather, tidal and seasonal conditions. An analysis by regression equations reveals non-significant trends (i.e., no decline evident) except for Suwaki lake, site of the highest observed densities which has shown a steady increase in density to the present levels of 6-7 individuals/km. This lake is managed by local people who impose their own harvest restrictions. Densities at the other sites are consistent with harvested populations, but any trends in density are obscured by intercensus variation.

On the Mamberamo River surveys from 1987-2001 indicate densities of C. novaeguineae remain stable. In the most recent survey in November -December 2001, 162.5 km of rivers and lakes at 14 localities were examined by spotlight survey. Densities ranged from less than one to over 20/km with a median density of 5-10/km in most locations. Regression analysis revealed no trend from surveys in 1985 (WWF), 1990 (FAO) and 1988-1992 (KSDA).

In addition, harvest data of live crocodiles and harvested skins from 1995 to 2001 for one of the three legal companies operating in the region are reported. Live crocodiles of > 60cm length captured for crocodile farms decreased from 6,661 in 1995 to 762 in 2001. Wild harvested skins increased from 2,234 to 4,379 in the same period.

These surveys were conducted by Helen Kurniati of LIPI in conjunction with personnel from PHPA and with funding from the Indonesian Government, Indonesian Crocodile Farmers Association and CV Bintang Mas, a crocodile farm and trading company. — Extracted from reports by Helen Kurniati: Kurniati, H. A. Prasado, N H. Murdani, O. Howay, A. Kilungga, D. Makabory & K. Marandey. 2001. CROCODILE SPOTLIGHT SURVEYS IN MID-ZONE MEMBERANO RIVER, IRIAN JAYA, INDONESIA, & Kurniati, K. & Y. Rumbarar. 1999. MONITORING OF CROCODYLUS POROSUS POPULATION IN KAIMANA AND ARGUNI BAY, FAK-FAK DISTRICT, IRIAN JAYA, Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Cibinong, Java, Indonesia <mzb@indo.net.id>.

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REPTILE SKIN COMPANY DEVELOPS CROCODILE FARM. Ekanindya Karsa Company is a reptile skin company that located at Jalan Raya Serang, West Java, Indonesia. The company processes raw materials to finished products such as bags and wallets for men and women. Marketplace for the products is domestic and international markets, and most of the products are exported to Japan.

Source of the raw materials such as crocodile skin, Crocodylus porosus and C. novaeguineae, lizard skin, Varanus salvator, snake skin, Python reticulatus, P. curtus, and small materials from Naja sputatrix have been processed in the company. Source of lizard skins and snake skins are from the wild, whereas most of crocodile skins materials are from the other crocodile farms that have a quota to hunt from the wild or ranching.

Because of high demand of crocodile skin product right now, but quota number to hunt crocodiles from the wild is limited, Ekanindya Karsa Company firm will get crocodile skin materials by itself in the future by developing a crocodile farm; the farm is in the same area as the factory.

The crocodile farm was built in August 2000 and stocked with 150 F₂ female Crocodylus porosus from Belanakan Crocodile farm, Perhutani, West Java; and 70 F₂ male C. porosus from Charoen Pokphand Company in Palembang, South Sumatra.

The parent stock have body lengths between 2 meter to 3 meter and are housed in breeding pens 45 m x 45 m with a breeding pool in size 20 m x 20. On 23rd August 2001, a female with total body length 1.6 meter laid 37 eggs. This was the first clutch egg for the crocodile farm.

To anticipate numerous eggs in the future, the company has built an incubator 3m x 3m x 3m equipped with thermostat. To keep incubator room warm, styrofoam is used to cover the wall and water is run from the top to the floor along the incubator wall inside. For the present, a small incubator size 1mt x 70cm x 63 cm and also equipped with thermostat is used to incubate 37 eggs. The small incubator was made from wood with acrylic covering the wall inside; 4 bulb lamps (@10 watt) are used as the heat source (the temperature set at 370C). To keep humidity, 2 gallons of water are put at the bottom. Some ponds for hatchling pens have been under construction.

The company has built 12 growing pens 10m x 5m. Right now the growing pens are used to keep and grow juveniles that are bought from Charoen Pokphand Company and also juveniles from Irian Jaya. Besides 12 growing pens, the company built 10 experiment pens (size of each pen is 1m x 2 m), which are used for research on crocodile nutrition.

General problems that always happen in crocodile farms especially in developing countries is the high cost of crocodile food. To anticipate this problem, Ekanindya Karsa Company has negotiated with Charoen Pokphand Company to give a low price for their chicken heads. The price of one-kilogram of chicken heads is between 6 cent to 10 cent US$.

Ekanindya Company has a serious intention to do well in the future. The owner has invested around $120,000 US to buy individual parent stock and to build pens and infrastructure of the crocodile farm. The owner of the farm gives permission and facilities to researchers from LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Sciences) to pursue their interest in crocodile nutrition. — Hellen Kurniati Widyasatwaloka Building-LIPI, Jalan Raya Cibinong Km 46, Cibinong 16911,West Java, Indonesia, P.O Box 25 Cibinong Email: <mzb@indo.net.id> and Rachmat Wiradinata, Ekanindya Karsa Company, Jalan Raya Serpong no. 67, Bumi Serpong Damai, Tangerang 15326, Indonesia. Email: <sales@raflo.co.id>.

Malaysia

A VISIT TO THE TOMISTOMA BREEDING FARM IN KUCHING, SARAWAK, EAST MALAYSIA. It is very worrying to note that practically all false gharials kept in zoos and other collections are wild-caught and that breeding successes with this species are rarely reported. For the reason I grasped the opportunity in July 2001 to visit the crocodile farm of Mr. Johnson Jong near Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia, when Prof. I. Das invited me to Kuching.