Australia. The remains of an adult male found in a river after a crocodile attack. The head had been decapitated through the lower neck and showed severe compound and comminuted fracturing of the skull and facial skeleton with loss of the brain. The arms had been amputated through the shoulder joints. The skin of the trunk was retrieved and showed numerous irregular, elongated lacerations typical of a crocodile attack. Similar wounds were also present on the head and arms.
Fig.1 The remains of an adult male found in a river after a crocodile attack.
One of the most effective and feared predators in northern Australia is Crocodylus porosus, the estuarine or saltwater crocodile. Found only in northern Australia, southeast Asia, and the Eastern coast of India, Crocodylus porosus is the largest of the 23 species of crocodilians, on occasion reaching 8.5 meters in length with a weight of two tonnes (one tonne or metric ton = 1000 kg). Crocodile attacks in Australia are not common, with a study of 62 attacks between 1971 and 2004 showing that 63% occurred in the Northern Territory compared to 24% in Queensland and 13% in Western Australia.
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