Crocodylus halli

Crocodylus halli
Systematics
without rank:	Sauropsida
without rank:	Archosauria
Order :	Crocodiles (crocodylia)
Family :	Real crocodiles (Crocodylidae)
Genre :	Crocodylus
Type :	Crocodylus halli
Scientific name
	Crocodylus halli
	Murray , Russo , Zorrilla & McMahan , 2019

Crocodylus halli is a species of the real crocodiles (Crocodylidae)found in New Guinea. The species was onlyseparatedfrom the New Guinea crocodile ( Crocodylus novaeguineae )in September 2019,described as an independent specieson the basis of morphological differences and named in honor of the US biologist Philip M. Hall, who already made clear in a study published in 1989 Noticed differences between the crocodiles of northern and southern New Guinea. Crocodylus halli occurs south of the central highlands in Papua New Guinea .

features

Outwardly, Crocodylus halli looks very similar to the New Guinea crocodile, but differs genetically and in some morphological features that are not or barely visible externally. The premaxillary in relation to the maxillary in Crocodylus halli is longer than in the New Guinea crocodile, the frontal bone is longer and the nasal bone shorter. The scaly bone and post orbitals are longer and wider than in the New Guinea crocodile. The wing bone is also wider. Other differences concern the scaling. Thus C. halligallo no more than four more, arranged in a single transverse row Postoccipital-dandruff (directly situated behind the occipital scales); the New Guinea crocodile has four to seven. Adult specimens of the Crocodylus halli population found in Lake Murray have a particularly broad skull. The skull width of the animals is more than half the skull length.

Distribution and reproduction

Crocodylus halli occurs in Papua New Guinea south of the central highlands from the Central Province in the east westwards to the Fly and lives there in swamps, rivers, lakes and occasionally in estuaries up to a maximum height of 600 meters. The species reproduces during the rainy season, which lasts from November to April. The estuarine crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ) is also reproduced at the same time , while the New Guinea crocodile reproduces at the end of the July-November dry season. The clutches of Crocodylus halli comprise an average of 22 eggs, which have an average weight of 104 g (approx. 35 eggs with a weight of 73 g in C. novaeguineae ). The young of C. halli are 26 to 32 cm long when they hatch, which is about 5 cm longer than those of the New Guinea crocodile.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c Christopher M. Murray, Peter Russo, Alexander Zorrilla and Caleb D. McMahan. 2019. Divergent Morphology among Populations of the New Guinea Crocodile, Crocodylus novaeguineae (Schmidt, 1928): Diagnosis of An Independent Lineage and Description of A New Species. Copeia. 107 (3); 517-523. DOI: 10.1643 / CG-19-240
↑ ^a ^b Hall, PM 1989. Variation in geographic isolates of the New Guinea crocodile ( Crocodylus novaeguineae , Schmidt) compared with the similar, allopatric, Philippine crocodile (C. mindorensis Schmidt). Copeia 1989: 71-80.

[Murray-1] Christopher M. Murray, Peter Russo, Alexander Zorrilla and Caleb D. McMahan. 2019. Divergent Morphology among Populations of the New Guinea Crocodile, Crocodylus novaeguineae (Schmidt, 1928): Diagnosis of An Independent Lineage and Description of A New Species. Copeia. 107 (3); 517-523. DOI: 10.1643 / CG-19-240

[Hall-2] Hall, PM 1989. Variation in geographic isolates of the New Guinea crocodile ( Crocodylus novaeguineae , Schmidt) compared with the similar, allopatric, Philippine crocodile (C. mindorensis Schmidt). Copeia 1989: 71-80.