Deniz D. TOSUN
Abstract
Crocodiles are hunted for their skins, meat, oil and claws. Over catching of this animal has led to the decline of this species in wild populations. Although it is not a new idea, breeding this animal under captivity is a developing industry in some parts of the world. Crocodiles have been bred in farms since early 20th century. The majority of these farms were tourist attrac-tions with wild caught alligators or crocodiles under captivity. Decline of the wild populations led to the prohibitions around the word. In crocodile farming operations, the idea is to obtain skins, meat and other products without stressing wild populations. This animal has its own characteristics and they should be learned well before any economic investment. In this review, our aim is to identify these characteristics and inform farmers about the challenges, downsides and advantages of crocodile farming with emphasis on their biology and present farming oper-ations.