Crocodilian Tooth Replacement
In a past article I discussed the importation of a pair of adult saltwater crocodiles Crocodylus porosus from Australia to the United States (CSG Newsletter Volume 23, Number 1, Jan.-March 2004). We know that crocodilians replace their teeth on a regular basis and in a very specific pattern. (Edmund, A. G. , Tooth replacement phenomena in the lower vertebrates. Contribution 52, Life Science Division, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada). Maximo, our 15’ 3” saltwater crocodile had orange teeth because of the tannins in the water where he lived in Australia. After he moved to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in October 2003, any time Maximo lost a tooth it was extremely obvious, because the old orange-stained teeth were replaced with bright white new teeth. In fact, we thought it was note worthy that he lost his last orange tooth exactly one year after being brought to our facility. He managed to loose and replace every tooth in his smile in one year’s time.
John Brueggen, Director
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St. Augustine, FL, USA

BLOG TOPICS
- Why do crocodiles sit with their mouths open?
- A Chinese Alligator in Heliox: Format Frequencies in a Crocodilian
- Crocodylian Head Width Allometry and Phylogenetic Prediction of Body Size in Extinct Crocodyliforms
- Divergent Morphology among Populations of the New Guinea Crocodile, Crocodylus novaeguineae (Schmidt, 1928): Diagnosis of an Independent Lineage and Description of a New Species
- The Frontoparietal Fossa and Dorsotemporal Fenestra of Archosaurs and Their Significance for Interpretations of Vascular and Muscular Anatomy in Dinosaurs
- Surveying death roll behavior across Crocodylia
- Meeting Karen Allen
- Crocodiles using tools?
- Can Crocodiles change color?
- SAAF Film Credits
- Yacare caiman eating the eggs of a conspecific during oviposition
- Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is…
- Are Crocodilians Like Dinosaurs?
- Crocodilian Immune Activity
- Field Research in Gambia
- Crocodile Laying Eggs After a Move
- Crocodile Food
- Crocodilian Enrichment: The good, the bad, and the untried
- Crocodilian Stationing: Incidental Benefits to a Basic Training Technique
- Crocodilian Tooth Replacement
- Crocodilians Drinking
- Pheromone Collection from Crocodilians
- Chinese Alligators
- Frozen Zoo
- Galloping Crocodilians
- Alligator CT Scan
- Crocodilians Eating Their Vegetables
- Crocodilians Swallowing Underwater
- Crocodiles as Parents
- Crocodiles Feeding Their Young
- Courtship Behavior of American Alligators
- Social Displays of the American Alligator
- Green screen
- Crocodilian Bite-force
- Endoscopy of Crocodilians
- Mummy Crocodiles
- MYTH-BUSTERS