This is
a crocodile nest. Like turtles (and brush turkeys) they use the heat
of composting to incubate their eggs: If the nest feels too cool,
add a bit more plant debris, if too warm, scratch some off. They
lay 60 or more in a clutch; mortality rate is high. Consequently,
the croc farmers gather the eggs immediately and take them indoors to incubate
where the heat can be precisely regulated (and thereby, the sex determined).
Of course, they distract mama first!
Last updated September 15, 2002
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