Interesting facts about the crocodile animal world. 50 most interesting facts about crocodiles. What is the difference between a crocodile and a gharial?
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- At the present time, crocodiles have no enemies, but the reptiles themselves pose a threat to a huge number of species. If another mammalian predator kills a prey near the crocodiles' habitat, the crocodiles will not be afraid to take it away.
- Crocodiles lie for several hours with their mouths open - this way the body cools down.
- A powerful tail is often used to attack a crocodile. The force of the blow is such that it can kill a person. When attacking, they inflict fatal bites on the victim, sometimes dragging him under water to drown him.
- Special muscles in the nose of reptiles close the nostrils during complete immersion in water. The latter are located above the mouth so that the predator, lying in wait for the prey, plunges into the water, remains invisible and breathes freely. To protect against water, a third eyelid is placed over the eyes.
- In the mouth of each adult individual there are 64-68 teeth of the same shape, hollow inside. During life they change about 50 times.
- Most crocodiles are cannibals. They eat carrion, but not rotten meat, although they make reserves from half-eaten prey.
- A female crocodile lays up to 80 eggs at a time, but 99% of all offspring do not grow and do not even have time to hatch, being eaten by fish, herons and even other adult crocodiles.
- All offspring hatch at the same time; the mother carefully transfers the newborns into the pond in her mouth. The ratio of the sizes of an adult individual and a crocodile egg is 1 to 4000.
- Crocodiles are for the most part monogamous. Scientists have found that about 70% of females choose the same male for mating throughout their lives.
- A crocodile can eat prey equal to half its own body weight at one time.
- Interesting facts about the suborder of crocodiles are associated with the sounds they produce. Before the rain, predators emit a peculiar bubbling sound, which is popularly called “crocodile singing.” During the mating season, the roar resembles thunder or explosions, and if other representatives of this species join the screaming, it will seem that an artillery battle is being waged nearby. And the first sounds, reminiscent of a faint croak, are made by reptiles while still inside the egg.
- Crocodiles swallow stones to grind ingested food and stabilize their center of gravity.
- The blood of these reptiles contains an antibiotic, due to which the most severe wounds heal quickly and do not fester.
- The sex of crocodiles depends on the ambient temperature: if it is below 31 degrees, females are born, above 33.5 - males. If the indicator fluctuates within these limits, then there will be an equal number of individuals of both sexes.
- Due to the decreased number of crocodiles on the planet, in some countries there are farms for breeding them.
- Saltwater crocodiles are the largest species of reptiles; the body length of some representatives reaches 7 meters, on average this figure is 5.5 meters. The weight of the largest individuals reaches 1 ton. Among the representatives of their species, they are considered the most dangerous.
- The reptiles got their name because of the two ridges that start at the eyes and end at the edge of the muzzle. They are formed only in sexually mature individuals, whose body length has already reached 2.5-3 meters.
- Among predators, combed crocodiles are characterized by the greatest bite force - the jaw force reaches 2.5 tons.
- These reptiles live freely in both fresh and salt water. Sometimes they swim out into the open ocean, where they spend up to a month or more, and during this time cover up to 1000 km. They feel no less comfortable in shallow freshwater rivers and small lakes.
- Saltwater crocodiles are long-lived, living up to 100 years. But in nature this rarely happens due to the spread of diseases and destruction by poachers.
- Nile crocodiles are the most common members of the family. They are in second place in size after combed fish - the average body length is 4 meters. The largest representative of this species was caught in the area of Lake Victoria in 1948; its body length was 6.4 meters and its weight was one and a half tons.
- The range of Nile crocodiles is wide, and depending on the area they have received an unofficial classification - Ethiopian, East African, Malagasy, Central African, Kenyan and others.
- Nile crocodiles have a sad reputation as cannibals - more people died from attacks than from other representatives of the crocodilian order combined. According to various sources, up to 1,000 people die annually in the teeth of these reptiles.
- Crocodiles are difficult to train, but exceptions are known. In the African village of Sabu, residents have tamed and fed predators in one pond, and they allow them to touch themselves, and some even ride. This interesting fact has become profitable for the aborigines - tourists come to these places all year round who want to watch an amazing show and communicate with crocodiles.
- Crocodiles are often confused with alligators. However, these are different animals, albeit similar.
- Crocodiles are direct descendants of extinct dinosaurs.
- The closest relatives of crocodiles are, oddly enough, birds (see x).
- Crocodiles are very cunning and patient. Having noticed a place where herbivores come to drink, crocodiles water the shore in this place with water, carrying it in their mouths so that the ground becomes slippery. If an animal approaches the water to drink and slips, it will inevitably become a victim of a crocodile. This fact may have given rise to the expression “crocodile tears.”
- When fish go to spawn, crocodiles in rivers lie down against the current and open their mouths. They don’t even have to do anything - just close their mouths and swallow the fish, which itself jumps into it.
- Crocodiles, unlike alligators, can live not only in fresh water, but also in salt water.
- The ribs protecting the crocodile's belly are not connected to the spine.
- If something falls on the crocodile’s tongue, for example, a drop of water, or a drop of sweat from the head of a brave trainer who has stuck his head into the predator’s mouth, the crocodile immediately clenches his jaws because his reflex is triggered.
- A well-fed, fully-fed crocodile does not attack a potential victim even when success is almost guaranteed - he is simply lazy.
- Crocodile teeth are worn down and replaced with new ones about every two years.
- Crocodiles, which lead an aquatic lifestyle, however, lay eggs on land.
- Water colder than plus 20 degrees Celsius is deadly for most crocodiles.
- Crocodiles have developed a kind of symbiosis with birds - he opens his mouth, and small birds peck out pieces of meat stuck between his teeth. The crocodile never touches these birds.
- The apparent clumsiness of crocodiles on land is very deceptive - at short distances they are capable of developing very high speeds, all the more surprising for creatures with such short legs.
- In the foreseeable past, completely land-dwelling crocodiles were still found in South America, but now there are no more of them left - they are extinct.
- Crocodiles reach maturity at the age of 5-10 years, depending on the species. Larger species grow more slowly.
- Crocodiles can live for hundreds of years, sometimes even more.
- Crocodiles do not know how to chew - their jaws are not adapted to this, so they tear their prey into pieces and swallow it piece by piece.
- Among many species of crocodiles, manifestations of cannibalism occur. Yes, on occasion these predators are not at all averse to snacking on each other.
- The Nile crocodile, which, as its name suggests, is found in the Nile River, poses a significant threat to rural residents in the vicinity of this great river (see).
- If necessary, a crocodile that has accumulated sufficient fat reserves may not eat at all for a whole year, or even more.
- Some crocodiles hibernate during periods of drought and hide at the bottom of shallow bodies of water.
- In one sitting, a crocodile easily eats prey equal to one-fifth of its own body weight.
- Small crocodiles from the same clutch of eggs hatch at the same time. An interesting fact is that if the eggs were stored at a temperature of 31-33 degrees Celsius, then they will hatch into males. If the temperature was lower or higher, then females will hatch.
- In the Kingdom of Thailand there are special farms where crocodiles are raised.
- Crocodiles are one of the most ancient creatures on Earth. Their modern species appeared about 83 million years ago, and their ancestors a quarter of a billion years ago.
- The largest crocodiles can reach a length of 7 meters and weigh up to a ton. You can meet such a monster in the north of Australia, India and Fiji (see).
- Crocodiles swim at speeds of up to 40 km/h, give or take. If they want, of course.
- Different muscles are responsible for opening and closing the mouth of crocodiles. Those that close their jaws are very strong, and those that unclench are on the contrary, so an adult can easily prevent a crocodile from opening its mouth by holding it tightly with his hands.
- Crocodiles sometimes swallow stones. They help them grind food in the stomach, and at the same time play the role of ballast.
- The crocodile belongs to the crocodile family, the alligator belongs to the alligator family. Moreover, both reptiles belong to the order crocodiles.
- The main difference between a crocodile and an alligator is the structure of the jaw and the arrangement of the teeth. When the crocodile's mouth is closed, one or a pair of teeth on the lower jaw always stick out, while the alligator's upper jaw is completely covered by a predatory grin.
- Also, the difference between a crocodile and an alligator lies in the structure of the muzzle. The crocodile's muzzle is pointed and has the shape of the English letter V, while the alligator's muzzle is blunt and more reminiscent of the letter U.
- Crocodiles have salt glands in the tongue and lacrimal glands in the eyes to remove excess salts from the body, so they can live in the sea. Alligators do not have such glands, so they mainly live in fresh water bodies.
- If you compare the size of a crocodile and an alligator, it is difficult to say which reptile is larger. The average length of an alligator does not exceed the average length of a crocodile. But if we compare the largest individuals, the American (Mississippi) alligator has a maximum body length of no more than 4.5 meters (according to unofficial data, the only maximum recorded length of one individual was 5.8 meters). And the world's largest saltwater crocodile, with an average body length of 5.2 meters, can grow up to 7 meters in length.
- The average weight of a Mississippi alligator (it is larger than a Chinese one) is 200 kg, with the maximum recorded weight reaching 626 kg. The average weight of a crocodile depends on the species. Yet some species of crocodiles weigh much more than alligators. For example, the weight of a sharp-snouted crocodile reaches 1 ton, and the world's largest saltwater crocodile weighs about 2 tons.
- Both the crocodile and the gharial belong to the order Crocodiles. But the crocodile is part of the crocodile family, and the gharial belongs to the gharial family.
- The crocodile has salt glands located on the tongue and special lacrimal glands in the eye area: through them, excess salts are removed from the crocodile's body. This factor allows the crocodile to live in salty sea water. The gharial does not possess such glands, therefore it is a resident of absolutely fresh water bodies.
- It is easy to distinguish a crocodile from a gharial by the shape of its jaws: the gharial has rather narrow jaws, which is justified by hunting only fish. The crocodile has wider jaws.
- The gharial has more teeth than the crocodile, but they are much smaller and thinner: the gharial needs such sharp and thin teeth to tenaciously hold caught fish in its mouth. Depending on the species, a crocodile has 66 or 68 teeth, but the gharial can boast of having hundreds of sharp teeth.
- Another difference between a crocodile and a gharial: of the entire family of crocodiles, only the gharial spends the maximum time in the water, leaving the reservoir only to lay eggs and to bask a little in the sun. The crocodile spends about a third of its life in bodies of water, preferring water over land.
- Crocodiles and gharials differ very slightly in size. Male gharials usually have a body length of 3-4.5 meters, rarely reaching 5.5 meters in length. Crocodiles are not far behind their counterparts - the length of an adult male varies between 2-5.5 meters. And yet, seasoned males of some species of crocodiles often reach 7 meters in length. In terms of weight, crocodiles win this round: the saltwater crocodile can reach a mass of 2000 kg, and the Gangetic gharial has a modest weight of 180-200 kg.
- Although crocodiles and caimans belong to the order Crocodilia, caimans belong to the alligator family and crocodiles belong to the crocodilian family.
- The external differences between a crocodile and a caiman are as follows: crocodiles are distinguished by a pointed V-shaped snout, caimans are distinguished by a blunt and wide U-shaped muzzle.
- Another difference between reptiles is that crocodiles have special salt glands on their tongues. Through them, as well as through the lacrimal glands, crocodiles get rid of excess salts, so they feel equally good in both fresh and salt water. Caimans do not have this feature, therefore, with rare exceptions, they live only in clean fresh water bodies.
- Saltwater crocodile (saltwater crocodile)(Crocodylus porosus)
- Blunt crocodile(Osteolaemus tetraspis)
- Nile crocodile(Crocodylus niloticus)
- Siamese crocodile(Crocodylus siamensis)
- Sharp-snouted crocodile(Crocodylus acutus)
- Australian narrow-snoutedcrocodile ( Crocodylus johnstoni)
- Mississippi alligator (American alligator) (Alligator mississippiensis)
- Chinese alligator ( Alligator sinensis)
- Crocodile (spectacled) caiman(Caiman crocodilus)
- Black caiman(Melanosuchus niger)
- Gangetic gharial(Gavialis gangeticus)
- Gharial crocodile(Tomistoma schlegelii)
The crocodile's belly has abdominal ribs that are not connected to the spine.
Antibiotics contained in its blood help the crocodile live in a polluted environment.
Each crocodile tooth is replaced with a new one after 2 years. Gharials have the largest number of teeth (up to 100 pieces).
The crocodile's stomach contains stones that help both digest food and provide greater stability when swimming.
Crocodiles do not have a bladder. Excess fluid is removed from the body through special channels.
Crocodiles see and hear well.
Many species of crocodiles are cannibals.
Crocodiles cannot chew.
Crocodiles can go without food for up to one and a half years. 60% of the food they eat turns into fat.
The sex of baby crocodiles is influenced by the temperature of the clutch. If the eggs were at an average temperature of about 32 degrees, then predominantly males hatch. If the temperature was higher or lower - females.
Small crocodiles are able to get out of the shell on their own, but cannot get to the water without the help of their mother.
The gharial crocodile does not protect its clutch, which is easily destroyed by wild pigs, and therefore the population of this species has the lowest numbers and is in danger of extinction.
Even though alligators are smaller, real crocodiles are more agile.
Crocodile meat is quite edible and is consumed by the population of various tropical countries.
“Crocodile tears” are nothing more than the body’s protective reaction to excess salts.
The length of an adult blunt-nosed crocodile is no more than one and a half meters. The smallest alligator, the smooth-faced caiman, is the same size.
The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile, with a bite force that exceeds that of any other predator, including white sharks.
Saltwater crocodiles hunt sharks, but in India they themselves sometimes become prey for tigers. The Nile crocodile is capable of killing a lion. Caimans play an important role in regulating the population of piranhas and capybaras.
The marsh crocodile and Mississippi alligator catch birds using bait. They hold branches in their mouths to attract birds looking for materials to build nests.
Gharials lead such a sedentary lifestyle that their skin is overgrown with sea acorns - clusters of crustaceans.
Off the coast of Australia, more people die from attacks by saltwater crocodiles than from attacks by a great white shark.
In Australia, 40 people become victims of attacks every year, in Malaysia - 100, in Africa - over 1000.
The freshwater narrow-snouted crocodile Mr. lives at the Australia Zoo. Freshy, whose age is estimated at 134 years.
Crocodylus porosus
The largest crocodile is the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), which is found in India, northern Australia and the Fiji Islands. Its length can reach 7 meters, and its weight can be 1 ton! Five-meter individuals weigh at least half a ton. Moreover, the eggs that the female lays are no larger in size than those of a goose.
Osteolaemus tetraspis
The smallest crocodile is the dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), with adults barely reaching 190 cm in length. It is more land-dwelling than waterfowl.
Prehistoric crocodiles reached a length of 13 meters and were taller than humans.
Crocodiles living today have adapted to life both in water and on land. Scientists say that approximately 3,000 years ago, crocodiles lived only on land.
The expression denotes ostentatious remorse and repentance. This myth originated from the fact that crocodiles were believed to cry while eating people. In fact, crocodiles do cry when they eat, but this happens for completely biological reasons. The air swallowed by the crocodile during feeding is mixed in a special way with the contents of the lacrimal glands and released in the form of abundant foamy “tears”.
Crocodile skin is considered one of the best for making various leather products (in general, this is cruel, but unfortunately, such a business exists). Only the skin of the abdomen is used industrially as it has softness and elasticity. Other places, especially the skin of the limbs and back, are not suitable for this - it is very strong and hard, and can often withstand a direct hit from a bullet. In many cultures around the world, crocodile skin is considered a sign of wealth and high status in society. A handbag made of crocodile skin can cost 10-20 thousand dollars or more, because of this, a large number of crocodiles are killed annually by poachers (their hands would be torn off). In a number of countries, hunting crocodiles in the wild is prohibited, and crocodiles are raised on special farms to obtain their skins.
In some cultures, the crocodile was considered a sacred animal, for example in Ancient Egypt. Even today, among some tribes of New Guinea, the crocodile is a totem symbol, and men undergo a painful procedure of mutilating their skin, after which it becomes covered with scars, making it look like a crocodile. The most interesting thing is that some tribes of Australian aborigines are considered masters in hunting crocodiles, while other tribes of the same Australian aborigines consider hunting crocodiles to be sacrilege.
The aggressiveness of crocodiles increases during the breeding season, which is associated with the rainy seasons.
The crocodile's jaw contains 24 sharp teeth, capable of holding and biting prey, but not chewing. Therefore, they often swallow small stones, so-called gastroliths, which help them grind the contents of their stomach.
The total weight of these stones can reach 5 kg (for the Nile crocodile). In addition, these stones allow animals to dive better and stay afloat.
Teeth are constantly renewed throughout the reptile's life. The procedure can be repeated approximately a hundred times. New ones develop in the hollow bases of old crocodile teeth.
The force of compression of the crocodile's jaws is enormous, but the muscles that open the mouth are so weak that the force of one hand is enough to prevent it from opening. The crocodile is able to very precisely control the force of compression of the jaws, and can both bite the femurs of large animals and transfer its offspring from the nest to the water. The crocodile's tail is also not a gift - its blows are very strong.
The crocodile's eye is endowed with a third transparent eyelid, thanks to which the animal does not have difficulty seeing under water.
You can often see crocodiles lying for a long time with their mouths open. This is not an expression of aggression, but simple cooling. In this case, the dog sticks out its tongue, and the crocodile opens its mouth - excess heat and sweat come out with breathing.
The crocodile recognizes the slightest fluctuations in the water thanks to receptors located on the jaw. It is this ability that allows a predator to find out the location of prey even at a great distance.
A crocodile can go without food for about a year. Moreover, some long-livers among these animals can live up to 100 years.
Crocodiles have a concept of cannibalism. Larger individuals can eat smaller ones. In addition, if a crocodile finds someone else's clutch or newly hatched crocodiles, he can mercilessly eat them. Thus, only 1% of the offspring of crocodiles survive, the remaining 99% are eaten by their fellow fish and birds
No matter how aggressively representatives of this species fight among themselves and no matter how strong and terrible their wounds are, they never have inflammation, much less gangrene. Scientists claim that the blood of crocodiles contains antibiotics that prevent the proliferation of bacteria.
Since ancient times, Chinese people have eaten crocodile meat. For this purpose, many fattened these predators at home. The crocodile also served as a watchdog, as it was kept chained to a long chain at the entrance to the yard.
Crocodiles are exotic predatory reptiles that appeared on our planet 25 million years ago. Living during the time of dinosaurs, they survived the cataclysms that occurred during that period and adapted to environmental conditions. An interesting fact about crocodiles is that they initially appeared as land reptiles, and only then, under the influence of external factors, over time they switched to semi-aquatic life. For them, the closest relatives of creatures currently living on earth are birds—descendants of archosaurs.
There are 24 species of these reptiles in the world. The name comes from the ancient Greek word, literally translated meaning “pebble worm.” The comparison is due to the similarity of the scales in texture and color with pebbles. The history of the development of the creatures is unusual, their way of life evokes both horror and admiration, so in this article we decided to tell the most interesting facts about crocodiles with pictures.
State of the art
Among living reptiles, crocodiles are distinguished by the most developed brain, the hemispheres of which have a cortex. Reptiles have developed vision and hearing, but more often use another sense organ - pressure receptors. These neuromasts are located on the surface of the jaws and sense vibrations in the water that come from animals located in the water over long distances. An analogue of this organ is the lateral line in fish.
Features of movement
Crocodiles seem clumsy, but some varieties are capable of running at speeds of up to 17 km per hour and galloping. Moreover, they are the only reptiles that, with this method of movement, place their legs under the body (when walking, they are widely spaced to the sides).
When urgently needed, reptiles are able to move several kilometers away from their habitat. When swimming, the speed reaches 40 km per hour, and only the tail is used for movement.
The ancient legend about crocodile tears came to us from the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius, who says that when eating a victim, the crocodile mourns it.
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In fact, this feature is associated with an excess of salt in the blood of reptiles, which they flush out using special glands located at the edge of the eyes.
Collaboration with other species
An interesting fact for children about crocodiles will be the following feature of these dangerous predators. Reptiles pose a threat to every living creature they meet along the way, but they have one “friend” in nature.
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This bird is an Egyptian runner or crocodile guardian. She lives near bodies of water where reptiles live, collecting scraps of meat from the ground around her and the open mouths of predators. It is noteworthy that at this time they lie calmly with their jaws open and do not try to swallow the bird.
Scientists and observers have noticed many facts from the life of crocodiles, and these features are mostly atypical for other reptiles:
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Interesting facts about different types of crocodiles
Each species of crocodiles has characteristics unique to them. Let us describe the facts about saltwater crocodiles:
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Crocodiles in the ancient world
Interesting facts about crocodiles for children and lovers of historical information are associated with the perception of crocodiles by residents in ancient times. In ancient Egypt, crocodiles were considered sacred animals, and the god of the flood of the Nile, Sebek, was depicted with the head of this predator.
![](https://i1.wp.com/24smi.org/public/media/resize/800x-/2017/4/25/05_lYSFcOf.jpg)
Another interesting fact about Nile crocodiles is that records show that some wealthy Egyptians kept crocodiles as pets. One crocodile once lived in Arsion in the temple of Sebek, where he was treated with honor, decorated and fed. After his death, the body was mummified and buried in a tomb. This case is not the only one - archaeologists have repeatedly found in Egyptian burials not only the mummified bodies of reptiles, but also their eggs. Today such mummies are exhibited in the famous Cairo Museum.
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From ancient times to this day, the Malagasy species of crocodile has been an object of worship for the aborigines of the island of Madagascar. During religious celebrations in honor of reptiles, residents make sacrifices to them in the form of pets.
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To appease the reptiles, the Egyptians used spells. Echoes of this tradition have survived to this day - modern residents of Nubia install a figurine of a reptile at the entrance to their house, which, according to their belief, will protect against evil. In South Sudan, there lived the Nuer tribe, which considers the crocodile a totem animal, but at the same time hunts representatives of the species for meat. Some African tribes believed that crocodiles were the spirits of deceased ancestors, protecting settlements from evil spirits, while others, on the contrary, believed that witches used them for evil purposes.
If you look for interesting facts about crocodiles on Wikipedia, you will find an article dedicated to the living of these reptiles in sewers. This legend originated back in the 50s of the last century and stated that giant reptiles lived in the sewer systems near New York. It is depicted in the book “The World Under the City” by R. Daley, and its origins go back even further – to the 30s, when the first such complaints began to arrive.
![](https://i0.wp.com/24smi.org/public/media/resize/800x-/2017/4/25/07_SlxXTjJ.jpg)
Initially, no one attached any importance to them, but after the descent, it is unclear how crocodiles that had taken root in such conditions were nevertheless discovered, and some of them even reached 2 meters.
The predators were poisoned, but the legend still does not lose popularity and has become the basis for numerous films and stories. And similar information about huge reptiles continues to pop up in different parts of the Earth, including in Russia. However, there are no reliable facts to confirm or refute such reports.
Crocodiles are creatures unlike any other. Leading a predominantly aquatic lifestyle, they, however, cannot breathe underwater, and they prefer to hunt land animals. In the wild, crocodiles are extremely dangerous - for example, in the sparsely populated areas of Australia where they are found, you can often find signs warning about the presence of these reptiles in the vicinity. This precaution is very appropriate - crocodiles are usually not averse to snacking on unwary tourists.
The crocodile is a semi-aquatic vertebrate wild animal, belongs to the phylum chordata, class reptiles, order crocodiles (Crocodilia).
The predator received its Russian name thanks to the Greek word “crocodilos,” which literally means “pebble worm.” Most likely, this is what the Greeks called the reptile, whose lumpy skin looks like a pebble, and whose long body and characteristic body movements resemble a worm.
In sea water, the crocodile feeds on fish, saw-nosed stingrays and even stingrays, including white stingrays, the size of which is not inferior to, and often exceeds in length, the attacking crocodile. The menu consisting of mammals is especially varied.
A successful hunt brings a crocodile for dinner, a monitor lizard, a wild boar, a buffalo or.
Often the prey of a crocodile becomes, and. Crocodiles also eat monkeys, martens and. If given the opportunity to have a snack, they will not hesitate to attack any domestic animals, be it cattle or cattle.
Some crocodiles eat each other, that is, they do not hesitate to attack their own kind.
How does a crocodile hunt?
Crocodiles spend most of the day in the water, and hunt only after dark. The reptile swallows small prey whole. In a duel with a large prey, the crocodile's weapon is brute force. Large land animals, such as deer and buffalo, are guarded by a crocodile at a watering hole, attacked suddenly and dragged into the water, where the victim is unable to resist. Large fish, on the contrary, are dragged into shallow water, where it is easier to deal with prey.
The massive jaws of a crocodile easily crush a buffalo’s skull, and strong jerks of the head and a special “deadly rotation” technique instantly tear the prey apart. Crocodiles do not know how to chew, therefore, having killed the victim, they twist out pieces of suitable flesh with their powerful jaws and swallow them whole.
Crocodiles eat quite a lot: one lunch can account for up to 23% of the mass of the predator itself. Often crocodiles hide part of the prey, but the supply does not always remain intact, and is often consumed by other predators.
What is the difference between a crocodile and a gharial?
What is the difference between a crocodile and a caiman?
Types of crocodiles: names, descriptions, list and photos
Modern classification divides the order of crocodiles into 3 families, 8 genera and 24 species.
Family of real crocodiles(Crocodylidae). Some of its varieties are of particular interest:
The largest crocodile in the world, a mega-predator firmly established at the top of the food chain. Other names for this reptile are submarine crocodile, man-eating crocodile, salty, estuarine and Indo-Pacific crocodile. The length of a saltwater crocodile can reach 7 meters and weigh up to 2 tons. The species got its name thanks to 2 massive bony ridges running along the snout from the edge of the eyes. The appearance of the crocodile is dominated by pale yellow-brown colors, and dark stripes and spots are visible on the body and tail. The salt water lover is a typical inhabitant of rivers flowing into the ocean, and also lives in sea lagoons. Saltwater crocodiles often live in the open sea and are found on the northern Australian coast, in Indonesia, the Philippines, India and off the coast of Japan. Crocodiles' food is any prey that a predator can catch. These can be large land animals: buffalos, leopards, grizzlies, antelopes, pythons, monitor lizards. The crocodile also often preys on medium-sized mammals: wild boars, tapirs, dingoes, kangaroos, and many species of monkeys, including orangutans. Domestic animals can also become prey: goats, horses, etc. Of the birds, the combed crocodile catches mainly waterfowl species, as well as sea and freshwater turtles, dolphins, and many types of sharks. Baby crocodile feeds on aquatic invertebrates, insects and small fish. Older individuals freely eat poisonous cane toads, large fish and crustaceans. Saltwater crocodiles practice cannibalism on occasion, never missing the opportunity to eat small or weak representatives of their species.
this is the smallest crocodile in the world. The body length of an adult is only 1.5 meters. The male weighs about 80 kg, the female crocodiles weighs about 30-35 kg. The color of the reptile's back is black, its belly is yellow, with black spots. Unlike other types of crocodiles, the reptile has skin well armored with hard plates-growths, which compensates for the lack of growth. Blunt-snouted crocodiles live in fresh water bodies of West Africa, shy and secretive, and lead a nocturnal lifestyle. They feed on fish and carrion.
the largest reptile of the family after the saltwater crocodile, lives in Africa. The average body length of males is from 4.5 to 5.5 meters, and the weight of a male crocodile reaches almost 1 ton. The color of the crocodile is gray or light brown, with dark stripes on the back and tail. The reptile is one of 3 species that live in African countries and have no equal in the water element. Even on land, conflicts over prey, such as with lions, involve a “tug-of-war,” and the crocodile still emerges victorious. - a typical inhabitant of rivers, lakes and swamps located south of the Sahara Desert, including the Nile River basin. The Nile crocodile feeds on fish: Nile perch, tilapia, black mullet, African pike and numerous representatives of cyprinids. And also mammals: antelopes, waterbucks, gazelles, oryx, warthogs, chimpanzees and gorillas. Often all types of domesticated animals become prey for the crocodile. Particularly large individuals attack buffalos and young African elephants. Young Nile crocodiles eat amphibians: the African toad, the changeable reed frog and the goliath frog. The young feed on insects (crickets), crabs and other invertebrates.
has a body up to 3-4 m long. The color of the crocodile is olive green, sometimes dark green. The weight of a male reaches 350 kg, the weight of females is 150 kg. This species of crocodiles is listed in the Red Book as endangered. Today the population numbers no more than 5 thousand individuals. The species' range extends through the countries of southeast Asia: Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and is also found on the island of Kalimantan. The main source of food for Siamese crocodiles are various types of fish, amphibians, and small reptiles. In rare cases, the crocodile feeds on rodents and carrion.
the most common member of the family. The species is distinguished by a narrow, characteristically pointed snout. Adult males grow up to 4 m in length, females up to 3 m. The weight of a crocodile is 500-1000 kg. The color of the crocodile is grayish or greenish-brown. Crocodiles live in swampy areas, rivers, and fresh and salt lakes in North and South America. Sharp-snouted crocodiles eat most types of freshwater and saltwater fish. A significant part of the diet consists of birds: pelicans, flamingos,. At regular intervals, crocodiles eat sea turtles and livestock. Young reptiles feed on crabs, snails, as well as insects and their larvae.
is a freshwater reptile and is small in size: males grow no more than 3 meters in length, females up to 2 meters. The animal has an uncharacteristically narrow muzzle for a crocodile. The color of the reptile is brown with black stripes on the crocodile's back and tail. A population of about 100 thousand individuals inhabits freshwater bodies of northern Australia. The Australian narrow-snouted crocodile feeds primarily on fish. A small portion of the adult diet consists of amphibians, waterfowl, snakes, lizards and small mammals.
Alligator family(Alligatoridae), in which the subfamily alligators and the subfamily caimans are distinguished. This family includes the following varieties:
a large reptile (reptile), the males of which grow up to 4.5 m in length with a body weight of about 200 kg. Unlike the crocodile, the American alligator can withstand the cold and can hibernate by freezing its body into the ice and leaving only its nostrils on the surface. These alligators live in fresh water bodies of North America: dams, swamps, rivers and lakes. The Mississippi (American) alligator, unlike crocodiles, rarely attacks large animals. Adult alligators feed on fish, waterfowl, water snakes and turtles; among mammals they eat nutria, muskrats and raccoons. Baby alligators eat worms, snails, and insects and their larvae. Some alligators do not have enough melanin pigment and are albino. True, a white crocodile is rarely found in nature.
White crocodile (albino)
a small species of alligator, which is also a rare species. Only 200 individuals live in nature. The color of the alligator is yellow-gray, there are black spots on the lower jaw. The average length of an alligator is 1.5 meters, the maximum reaches 2.2 meters. The weight of the predator is 35-45 kg. Alligators live in China, in the Yangtze River basin. They feed on small birds and mammals, fish, snakes, and mollusks.
a relatively small alligator with a body length of up to 1.8-2 m and a weight of up to 60 kg. This species of crocodile is distinguished by a narrow snout and a characteristic bony growth between the eyes, shaped like glasses. The small caiman has a yellow body color with black spots; the adult crocodile has olive green skin. The reptile has the widest range of all alligators. The caiman lives in low-lying, stagnant bodies of fresh or salt water from Mexico and Guatemala to the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Due to its small size, the caiman feeds on mollusks, small fish, freshwater crabs, as well as small reptiles and mammals. Seasoned individuals occasionally attack large amphibians and snakes, for example, as well as wild boars and even other caimans.
one of the largest reptiles. The body length of a mature male can exceed 5.5 m, and the body weight can be more than 500 kg. A pronounced bony ridge, typical of all caimans, runs from the eyes along the entire length of the muzzle. The modern population, consisting of approximately 100 thousand individuals, lives in large rivers and lakes in South America. Adult black caimans eat large quantities of fish, including turtles and snakes. But the main part of the food is mammals: deer, capybaras, peccaries, coatis, sloths, armadillos, river dolphins, Brazilian otters. In certain areas of the range, the usual food of reptiles is various domestic animals, including cattle. Young caimans feed on snails, frogs and small fish species.
Gharial family(Gavialidae) consists of several genera and only 2 modern species:
a large representative of the order with a body growing up to 6 meters in length. Gharials, unlike real crocodiles, have a lighter constitution, so the weight of an adult individual generally does not exceed 200 kg. Gharials are distinguished by a characteristically narrow jaw shape, conveniently adapted for catching fish, as well as a maximum number of teeth - up to 100 pieces. Gharials live in the pools and knees of rivers in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The species is listed in the Red Book as especially rare and has been completely exterminated in Bhutan and Myanmar. Due to its predominantly aquatic lifestyle, the Gangetic gharial feeds mainly on fish. Particularly large individuals occasionally attack small mammals and happily eat carrion. Baby reptiles are content with invertebrate animals.
the closest relative of the gharial, with the same long, narrow snout and gigantic size. The body length of a crocodile can exceed 6 meters, but on average reaches no more than 5 meters. The color of the crocodile is chocolate brown with stripes on the body. The weight of a crocodile varies from 93 kg for females to 210 kg for males. This species of reptile has endangered status. A small population of crocodiles, consisting of 2.5 thousand individuals, lives in shallow, swampy rivers and lakes in Indonesia and Malaysia. The gharial crocodile, unlike its closest relative, the Gangetic gharial, only partly consumes fish, shrimp and small vertebrates. Despite the narrow snout, the main diet of the predator consists of pythons and other snakes, monitor lizards, turtles, monkeys, wild pigs, deer and otters.