The role of the cloaca in salt and water balance in crocodiles

Research assistant - University of Queensland, Australia

 

Advisor:

Prof. Craig E. Franklin

 

About:

Crocodiles live across a range of salinities from freshwater to seawater. Seawater represents a dehydrating environment and crocodiles have to cope with an increased salt load. The kidney is not able to produce concentrated urine, and instead, the cloaca in concert with lingual salt glands are responsible for excreting excess salt. The overall aim is to characterize epithelial transport properties of the cloaca of crocodiles.

This project is in collaboration with Prof. Martin Grosell from the University of Miami, USA.

 

I also volunteered in crocodile maintenance, transferring crocodiles to experimental dive tanks, and measuring heart rate for a PhD student working on diving physiology of juvenile crocodiles in relation to climate change. Acknowledged in Rodgers et al. (2015), Rodgers & Franklin (2017), Rodgers & Franklin (2019), and Rodgers & Franklin (2020).

 

Skills: 

Crocodile maintenance & handling, dissection, blood plasma biochemistry, and electrophysiology.

 

Species:

• Estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)