Crocodilians are dedicated nest guarders who protect their eggs and hatchlings. Protecting nesting habitat preserves not just individual welfare but the social structure of crocodilian populations.
Crocodilian welfare at the nest involves both the investing mother and the developing young. Female crocodilians are among the most protective of all reptilian mothers, guarding nests continuously and gently transporting hatchlings in their mouths to water. Nest disturbance causes maternal stress and may result in nest abandonment, exposing eggs to predation and temperature extremes. As sea level rise and intensifying storms flood coastal nesting areas, entire nesting seasons can fail. Legal egg collection programs that operate with welfare safeguards provide economic incentives for habitat protection in some range countries. Protection of nesting beaches and wetland nesting habitat is the primary welfare conservation action for crocodilians.