These amazing crocodiles

These amazing crocodiles

The most highly organized
Crocodiles occupy a special position among modern reptiles. The peculiarities of the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems allow us to consider them the most highly organized of all living reptiles. Now on earth there are twenty-one species of crocodiles belonging to three families.

Relatives of dinosaurs and birds
Crocodiles are closer relatives of extinct dinosaurs, which survived by almost 60 million years, and modern birds than other reptiles of our time. The evolution of crocodiles, starting with the appearance of this group about 150 million years ago, went in the direction of increasing adaptation to the aquatic lifestyle and predation.

The largest predator

The largest land predator of all time was perhaps the alligator, whose fossil remains were discovered on the banks of the Amazon in rocks that are 8 million years old. According to estimates based on the length of the skull (1.5 m), in which 10-centimeter teeth were preserved, the total body length of this predator was 12 m, and the weight was about 18 tons, i.e. it was larger than the king of alligators - Tyrannosaurus rex. It was identified as a giant specimen of the species Purussaurus brasiliensis, smaller specimens of which were first found in 1892.

The biggest crocodile
...This saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), widespread in Asia and the Pacific. The length of the largest of them exceeds 7 m. The saltwater crocodile often swims into the ocean, where, along with sharks, it hunts swimmers near the coasts. 4-5-meter crocodiles hunt pigs, less often cows and horses. A large crocodile considers a person entering its hunting territory to be its rightful prey. Residents of certain regions of Asia, not without reason, consider him an inveterate cannibal. In India, it often happens that crocodiles snatch people from boats and often do this so quickly that people nearby hardly notice it.

There are no crocodiles in Greece

... but this did not stop the ancient Greeks from giving them the name “stone worm” (“kroko” - stone, and “dilo” - worm. Travelers observed from afar croodilians basking on stone placers, whose elongated bodies resemble giant worms.

Remains submerged
The crocodile has enviable patience: with only the slits of its eyes and nostrils out of the water, it can watch for its prey for hours. Usually, in this almost “flooded” position, it drifts several tens of miles from the coast, looking out for prey. At the moment the crocodile dives, its nostrils close with swollen edges, the ear openings are hermetically sealed by movable skin folds, and blood circulation in all organs except the brain and heart muscle is suspended. Typically, in the first 20 minutes of being at depth, the reptile uses up half of its total oxygen supply, and the remaining is utilized more economically over the next 100 minutes.

Can't stick out tongue

The crocodile cannot stick its tongue out of its mouth.

Maybe not eat for a whole year

A crocodile can eat nothing at all for a whole year.

Opens its mouth

When resting, the crocodile often opens its mouth to give its jaws a rest.

Complex heart and small brain

Due to the slowdown of the heart, the pulse of an animal underwater drops to very low values, however, the predator’s brain always receives a sufficient amount of blood, and its perception of the external environment remains normal.

Interestingly, although the crocodile's heart is recognized as the most complex heart on the planet, its brain is only the size of a walnut.

Lungs and circulatory system, like those of land animals

On the one hand, this is good: crocodiles spend a lot of time on land, on the other hand, perhaps not so much: after all, the crocodile also spends a lot of time in the water, even sleeping in the water, albeit on the surface. As soon as he begins to descend, he wakes up and floats up: he still cannot breathe under water, his breathing is not regulated.

Excellent swimmer

Crocodiles are excellent swimmers. To the west of Java, 1100 kilometers away, are the Cocos Islands - saltwater crocodiles manage to swim even to them.

High jump

The saltwater crocodile can jump out of the water to a height of two meters.

Able to climb trees

Sometimes crocodiles are able to climb trees.

Capable of galloping

For a long time it was believed that crocodiles on land were clumsy and cowardly, but this is not so. On the ground, crocodiles are able to gallop. They straighten their legs, raise their body relatively high above the ground and run quite quickly, in a special style, a kind of “crocodile gallop”, and young Nile crocodiles can reach speeds of up to 12 kilometers per hour.

Engage in single combat with lions
After all, an adult Nile crocodile weighs 14 times more than an adult man! He is quite capable of even dragging a buffalo under water. Crocodiles can offer fierce resistance even to lions when they move overland from shallow bodies of water to deep rivers. According to experts, on land, crocodiles most often defend themselves, but occasionally they can attack, always trying to drag the victim into the water.

Crocodiles fought with gladiators

In 58 BC, the Romans organized a fight between gladiators and crocodiles, since then such fights have become a popular spectacle, and crocodiles began to be brought to Rome. This is how Europeans became closely acquainted with these reptiles.

Who is stronger

Residents of the Madagascar port of Tamatave decided to find out who is stronger: a man or a crocodile? For about twenty years now, public races between humans and reptiles have been organized in Tamatave in the Pan-Galan Canal. The conditions of the fights are as follows: everyone catches a pair of young animals in the jungle - weighing no more than twenty kilograms - attaches floats to their backs to see where they are at the moment, then releases them into a water section of the canal pre-fenced with bars. After this, the daredevil climbs into the water himself, and a life-and-death battle ensues. Fortunately, they say, until now the winner has always been man.

The strongest bite

Alligators have the strongest bite compared to other known "biting" predators, such as hyenas, lions and dusky sharks, scientists from the University of Florida have found. A 4-meter American alligator weighing 332 kilograms bit a special measuring device with a force equivalent to the gravity of a 1063-kilogram object (the weight of a small truck). A large specimen at the St. Augustine crocodile farm (USA) bit with a force equivalent to weighing 1,480 kilograms. Alligators use such a powerful mouth filled with 80 teeth to catch and chew freshwater turtles, which have a particularly hard shell.

Trying to open the jaws of a crocodile while inside its mouth will require as much effort as lifting a small truck that has run over a person. The bite force of smaller crocodiles was found to be proportional to this, taking into account the difference in weight.

Wild alligators have stronger jaws
Scientists are going to measure the bite force of wild alligators living in the rivers and lakes of central Florida - they expect them to have stronger jaws than those living in captivity. Even a very old and already toothless crocodile is still deadly, its jaws slam shut with the force of several tons, grinding the body and bones of the victim. If the prey is small, the crocodile will swallow it whole. If the piece is too large, the old crocodile will call on one of his dozen girlfriends to help tear the prey into pieces.

Favorable temperature

The most favorable body temperature for life is Mississippi alligatorsAlligatormississippiensis 32-35°; Temperatures above 38° are lethal for this species. The lower threshold of activity is about 20°. On land, crocodiles often lie with their mouths wide open, which is apparently associated with thermoregulation: some heat loss occurs when water evaporates from the mucous membranes of the oral cavity.

Large crocodiles maintain a stable body temperature

Reptiles are characterized as cold-blooded animals, but this is not entirely accurate. Their body temperature is mainly determined by their environment, but in many cases they can regulate it and maintain it at a higher level if necessary. When it is necessary to increase their body temperature, reptiles usually bask in the sun, absorbing its heat through the entire surface of their skin. When they start to overheat, they tend to retreat into the shade. Some species are able to generate and retain heat within their own body tissues. Large reptiles can maintain a more stable body temperature because their massive bodies contain more heat and have thicker skin and fat layers.

Why does a crocodile have a long tail?

A powerful tail, as dangerous as the jaws, but with a greater radius of action, designed to usually kill fish, and sometimes knock down a buffalo. Old crocodiles sometimes break small boats into pieces with a blow of their tail, and each time one of the people in the boat becomes their prey.

Saltwater crocodiles are larger

Saltwater crocodiles are much larger and more aggressive than their freshwater relatives.

The smallest crocodile

This smooth-faced caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus). Its maximum length from northern South America is 1.5 m for males and 1.2 m for females.

Rely on smell and hearing
Aquatic reptiles (crocodiles, alligators, turtles) rely heavily on senses such as smell and hearing to track prey, find a mate, or detect the approach of an enemy. Their vision plays an auxiliary role and operates only at close range, visual images are blurry, and there is no ability to focus on stationary objects for a long time.

Changes teeth

During its life, a crocodile can change its 60 teeth up to a hundred times.

Crocodiles don't drool
Having moved into the water, crocodiles lost their salivary glands, but since they eat prey in the water, this loss is insignificant.

Rhino eater

Crocodiles hunt at night. Fish is an essential component of the diet of all crocodiles, but crocodiles eat any prey they can handle. Therefore, the set of foods changes with age: various invertebrates - insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms - serve as food for the young; larger animals hunt fish, amphibians, reptiles and aquatic birds. Adult crocodiles are able to cope with large mammals. There is a known case of the remains of a rhinoceros being found in the stomach of a Nile crocodile. Many species of crocodiles exhibit cannibalism - the devouring of smaller individuals by larger individuals.

Eat fresh meat
Although crocodiles sometimes eat carrion, in most cases they feed on fresh meat. Information that crocodiles bury their prey in holes and wait until the meat spoils is not confirmed. In captivity, crocodiles willingly eat meat, fish, small mammals and chicken eggs.

Several months may pass between meals

Very large reptiles do not require as much food to sustain themselves as mammals of the same size. Therefore, they are able to inhabit places that are not suitable for mammals, for example, deserts. This is an ideal place for reptiles as there is plenty of sun to warm them up and plenty of food to eat. Once fed, they can digest food while at rest. In some of the largest species, several months or even a whole year can pass between meals. Large mammals would not survive on this diet.

Crocodiles are talking
Eyewitnesses compare the alligator's voice to distant thunder or explosions used by poachers to kill fish with dynamite. As others join the first alligator, “heavy pulsating sounds begin to literally shake the swamp.

Most often, alligators talk in the spring, the male carries on a conversation with a female living on his territory, or with a male who has trespassed on someone else’s property.

Has a harem
The male has a harem of ten to twelve females. If the prey is too large, the crocodile will call on its females to help tear the prey into pieces.

Drought kills crocodile love

In 2004, Australia was unexpectedly deprived of monsoon rains, causing crocodiles to lose all their enviable sexual activity. In some individuals, sperm production stopped altogether. If the weather does not improve, crocodiles will temporarily lose their ability to reproduce. Well, if it rains, it will be worse for them than any Viagra.

Guarding the treasure

On the shore of a reservoir, the female builds a rather high mound of grass, algae and other plant material. Then she will make a hole in it and lay eggs there (usually there are from 20 to 60 of them). Then he will cover the hole with grass, level it and even compact the place a little. And the most difficult thing begins for the female: guarding her treasure. They have to watch for 60 - 70 days, and all this time the mother hardly sleeps and eats nothing, since she cannot move away and there is no food nearby. Only sometimes does she allow herself to step into the shadows, but so as not to lose sight of the “incubator”, or to plunge into the water. If it is very hot, the female, having taken a dip, quickly approaches a pile of grass and stops over it so that the drops flow onto the grass, moistening it. The mother does not leave caring for the offspring even after the eggs hatch; she keeps the cubs with her for a year and a half.

Egg tooth

All crocodile babies have an egg tooth - a process at the tip of the muzzle, with which they break the shell. Before they are born, the crocodiles make plaintive croaking sounds, and the mother immediately rushes to their aid. After that, she accompanies the kids to the pond and stays there with them. Alligators are usually not that ferocious, and on land they rarely attack. But at this time the female is very aggressive. photo from the site

How do crocodiles grow?

At birth, crocodiles weigh no more than 70-80 grams and are completely helpless. Despite careful protection of the nest, most of the eggs in it die. Young alligators that are born also die in large numbers: only 5% survive to adulthood. Crocodiles are destroyed by predators, monitor lizards, and their own relatives - crocodiles. Crocodiles grow quickly and continue to grow throughout their lives. Only after 20 - 30 years their growth slows down significantly. By a year and a half they already reach a meter in length. Now they are afraid of no one except humans, and they set off to look for places not yet inhabited by alligators.

Clean

Clean

If crocodiles live in ponds, they maintain exemplary order in them - they destroy unnecessary vegetation, remove excess dirt and silt from the bottom, picking it up with their snouts and throwing it ashore. If the pond becomes shallow, alligators dig deep holes and sit there. In this way, they help save many aquatic animals that would have had a bad time during such droughts and shallowing of water bodies.

Everyone has their own area

Crocodiles occupy a territory of 20 - 40 hectares and vigilantly guard it: males - from males, females - from females. Representatives of the other sex are allowed to cross the border of the territory. True, if the pond is small, either one adult alligator (female or male), or a female with a litter, or several young, not yet settled crocodiles live in it.

The lifespan of crocodiles and alligators in nature is short

The Mississippi alligator lives up to 5 years, the caiman - 4 years, the Nile crocodile - 8 years, and the gharial - 6 years.

How long do crocodiles live?

They live up to 80-100 years, but nowadays, due to the predatory extermination of crocodiles by humans, animals over 50 years old are rarely found in nature.

The oldest crocodile
It is certain that one missyAlligator mississippiensis lived 66 years. He was brought to the Adelaide Zoo, PC. South Australia, 5 June 1914 at the age of 2 years, and he lived until September 26, 1978.

The calmest alligator

Everything that is known about Chinese alligator (Alligatorsinensis), testifies to his harmless and calm disposition. This is an animal that is practically harmless to humans.

Crocodile from the Sahara

In the Sahara, a crocodile is known to live in an isolated stagnant body of water. Several species of fish are found in wells and drainage waters. The freshwater shrimp Cardina togoensis stuhlmanni lives in one of the springs, more than 1 thousand km away from the nearest river. This proves that large bodies of water previously existed in the great Sahara Desert.

Gharials are not dangerous

Ancient Indian tales describe attacks on people gharials (Gavialis gangeticus), although they are generally considered harmless to humans due to the structure of the muzzle: a long and narrow, bird-beak-like nose is ideally suited for eating fish. Perhaps their aggressiveness in this region was provoked by ancient customs of cremating the dead on the banks of rivers or sending bodies downstream.

Australia will reduce its crocodile population

The population number has grown over the past 30 years from 5 thousand to 70 thousand individuals. These reptiles, which can reach 5.5 meters in length and weigh up to 1 ton, cause serious damage to farmers. This problem is especially pressing in the Northern Territory of Australia, where crocodiles cause enormous damage, attacking cattle, dogs, and sometimes people. Experts report that in recent years, crocodiles have become less afraid of the noise of motor boats and are moving closer to farms, the newspaper writes.

Australia banned the hunting of saltwater crocodiles in 1969 because the animals were on the verge of extinction, but some farmers are now allowed to occasionally kill the larger reptiles.

The most dangerous crocodile

Only people can be considered hunters Nile (Crocodylus niloticus) And crested (Crocodylus porosus) crocodiles 39 of the 43 crocodile attacks occurred between November and mid-April - a time when males guard the breeding territory from rivals and when males and females guard clutches and hatchlings. At this time of year, crocodiles are especially active also because the water of flooded rivers and lakes warms up and becomes muddy, and this helps crocodiles hunt. Noise and sounds made by humans do not frighten them

Usually the danger comes from male crocodiles guarding their territory. Attempts by females to attack a person who has violated the boundaries of their territory are not so aggressive and do not end in death. But an angry male can even attack a boat that has crossed the borders of his property. If he is not hungry, people usually manage to escape.

When people are related to crocodiles

In Madagascar, the Tsimiheti people, who live in the northwest of the island, consider the crocodile to be the most powerful creature in the world. The Antanusi, living in the south, until recently treated crocodiles as sacred animals. When a reptile drags a girl underwater who had been sitting by the river, local residents rejoice. They believed that the spirits of the tribal leaders lived in crocodiles. While the animal was tearing the girl apart, her relatives were celebrating their daughter’s wedding to an honorary ancestor. Killing a crocodile has always been the strictest fadi for the Malagasy. To kill a reptile means to destroy the soul of the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, as well as the soul of the father of the great-grandfather, grandfather of the great-grandfather, and so on until the beginning of the family.

Villagers come to the lake to try to discern the familiar features of their ancestors in the crocodile faces. Each reptile has its own name: Mbuti, Bakari, Kalu, that is, the names of long-standing relatives. Local Malgashians give their children the same names in order to cement the union of the living and the dead.

Lifespan of a crocodile

The average lifespan of a crocodile is up to 40 years, the maximum is 100 years.

Giant crocodile

The giant crocodile that lived in the Pleistocene had a body length of 15 m; he lived in different parts of the Earth.

Saltwater crocodile as a rescuer

A pensioner from Sri Lanka claims that during the terrible tsunami he was saved by an estuarine crocodile - the largest of all crocodile species, one of those that often visited his garden before the disaster. At the time of the tsunami, a man was walking in a garden through which a river flows into the sea, and was washed away by a huge wave. He saw, as it seemed to him at that moment, a log moving in his direction, and he clung to it with all his might. However, the man soon realized that he was holding on to a crocodile.
After seven hours spent in the water, the pensioner almost despaired when he suddenly felt that the crocodile pushed him in the stomach, “directed” him towards the shore and, in the end, “pushed” him to him.

In the modern world, it is generally accepted that crocodiles are distant relatives of dinosaurs. And indeed, from their appearance one can imagine what giants the ancient monsters were. Today, crocodiles are well studied and classified as a separate class. However, people often get confused about which one. Is a crocodile a reptile or an amphibian? What is the difference between these two classes? Let's take a closer look at them.

Class Amphibians

Amphibians, or this class is also called amphibians, are very different from all other vertebrates. The very first difference is that they have two stages of development. The first is that at a young age, amphibians look like fish. They also have a tail and gills, and they are all born in water. The second stage in development is the emergence of amphibians from the water and the restructuring of the entire organism for life both in water and on land: lungs develop, the tail disappears. The most obvious example in this case is a frog.

Given such differences, why does the question arise: is a crocodile a reptile or an amphibian? The fact is that the crocodile lives in water, has lungs and can also be considered an amphibian to some extent. But it does not have stages of rebirth, like amphibians. Crocodiles are born fully formed and not in water, but on land. And only after a while they seem to return to the aquatic environment. Now let's look at why a crocodile is a reptile.

Class Reptiles

The class of Reptiles includes not only crocodiles, but also snakes, turtles and lizards. All have similarities to amphibians and many differences. So, all reptiles are cold-blooded animals. Therefore, their main habitat is the tropics and subtropics. In addition, the body of reptiles is covered with scales that protect delicate skin. The crocodile has such strong skin that it cannot be easily damaged. Interestingly, unlike other reptile species, crocodiles do not shed, and their skin grows with them.

Another difference from amphibians is the structure of the skeleton. All reptiles have cervical vertebrae that allow them to turn their heads. In addition, reptiles do not have skin respiration, like amphibians, but breathe due to a developed respiratory system. In all reptiles, fertilization occurs inside the body, unlike amphibians, and the young are born fully formed.

Structural features of a crocodile

The crocodile differs in its structure not only from amphibians, but also from most reptiles. The appearance of the crocodile is terrifying, and it really looks like the dinosaurs that lived in ancient times. The length of the reptile is from 2 to 6 meters, it inspires fear. The head is designed in a special way: it is flat, with a long snout on which the nostrils are located. The eyes are located at the top, and when in water, a crocodile can only expose its eyes and nostrils. In this case, it is very difficult to notice.

In addition, the crocodile's heart differs from similar organs in other reptiles in that it has four chambers, not three. This indicates a more advanced circulatory system and brings the crocodile closer to mammals. But in the crocodile's circulatory system there is a controlled system for mixing arterial blood with venous blood. This helps in the digestion process and prevents infection from being in dirty water.

Reproduction

Another sign by which one can determine whether a crocodile is a reptile or an amphibian is its method of reproduction. The female crocodile lays eggs, but not in water, like amphibians, but on land. She buries them in the sand near the water. The female herself guards the nest from uninvited guests, being close to the clutch. Interestingly, all the eggs hatch at the same time, and the sex of the babies depends on the ambient temperature. If the temperature exceeds 34 degrees, females will hatch, and if it is between 30 and 34, males will hatch.

Just before they are born, small crocodiles give a signal to their mother, and she carefully digs up the clutch, helping them get out of the nest. All other reptiles do not do this. At the same time, the crocodile also carries its babies in its mouth to the water. You can imagine how these huge jaws gently pick up the crocodiles and move them into the pond. Also, sometimes the crocodile helps to move to the water and newborn turtles.

Species of crocodiles

There are 21 species of crocodiles in nature. They all differ in size, habitat and head structure. Most often they confuse a crocodile and an alligator. An interesting point: they differ in the structure of their muzzle. In a crocodile it is sharp, while in an alligator it is blunter. Teeth are visible only in crocodiles when the mouth is closed. The crocodile's heart pumps blood faster, and due to this, salt metabolism is faster than that of alligators. This feature allows crocodiles to live not only in fresh water, but also in the sea.

There are small crocodiles, such as caimans, that can be kept at home. This often happens because the caiman is able to adapt well to any conditions. The only thing is that it lives only in clean water, and this is easy to create in a house or zoo.

Perhaps this article helped you understand the question: is a crocodile a reptile or an amphibian?

Menacing, ferocious and bloodthirsty predators - crocodiles, inspire terror with their size alone. And yet, this closest relative of dinosaurs, living on Earth since time immemorial, arouses, in addition to awe, lively and genuine interest. Where do crocodiles live, what types of these reptiles exist?

The term "crocodile" has ancient Greek roots. When literally translated, the animal can be designated as a “pebble worm,” perhaps due to the resemblance of lizard scales to small pebbles.

This is interesting! Until 2003, the order Crocodilia included modern crocodiles, their closest extinct relatives, and their rather distant cousins, the crocodile-like archosaurs. Later, the superorder Crocodylomorpha was formed, which was used exclusively to designate the living crocodiles and their closest relatives.

A crocodile is a wild animal that belongs to the aquatic vertebrates. Predators are recognized as representatives of the ancient class of archarosaurs. Interestingly, most of these animals have become extinct in the wild, in particular dinosaurs.

Depending on the type of animal, the body length of a predator can be from 2 to 7 m, and its weight can be 400-700 kg.

The crocodile's head is flat with a long muzzle, the body is flattened and elongated on both sides. The limbs are short, there are five webbed toes on the front paws, and there is no little finger on the hind paws. Small limbs can create a misleading impression of the slowness of these giants. However, even the smallest crocodiles can cover significant distances on land at a speed of approximately 15 km/h. In water, this reptile accelerates to 30-35 km/h.

This is interesting! The structure of the skull of large lizards is surprisingly similar to dinosaurs. The ears and nose of this predator are located closer to the top of the head. It is thanks to this feature that crocodiles are able to lie under water for a long time, observing what is happening on the surface. At the same time, the insidious predator is able to smell prey by sticking out its eyes and nostrils.

The ominous mouth of the crocodile is equipped with teeth shaped like a cone. Their length can reach 5 cm. Inside, the teeth of a predator are equipped with cavities in which new young chewing units are formed after the old ones wear out. Their number can reach from 72 to 100 pieces.

The body of reptiles is covered with hard skin, which consists of keratinized rectangular scutes. The latter are arranged in neat rows. Strong ribs protect the abdominal cavity. Depending on the type of animal, the skin of a crocodile is sandy, brown, dark brown or almost black.

The crocodile has a four-chambered heart, and its blood contains antibiotics that protect animals from various infections. The muscular stomach is equipped with gastroliths - special stones that help crush food.

The crocodile continues to increase in size throughout its life. This is facilitated by the continuous growth of cartilage tissue. The lifespan of a reptile in nature is on average 80-100 years.

Reptile species

Crocodiles rightfully occupy the place of the most highly developed animals among living reptiles.

This toothy family is represented by the following varieties of crocodiles:

• combed (sea);
• African;
• swamp (Indian);
• Nile;
• Orinoco;
• American sharp-snout;
• Australian;
• Philippine;
• Central American;
• New Guinea;
• Siamese.

Alligator family.

Includes the following reptile species:

• black caiman;
• Mississippi alligator;
• spectacled caiman;
• Paraguayan (Yakar) caiman;
• Chinese alligator;
• Cuvier's dwarf smooth-faced caiman;
• broad-faced caiman;
• dwarf, smooth-faced Schneider's caiman.

Gharial family.

Its representatives have a somewhat specific appearance, like for a crocodile. There are only two species: the gharial itself and the gharial crocodile (pseudogavial, false gharial).

Natural habitat

Where do crocodiles live? In almost all countries with a tropical climate. Toothed lizards can be found in the Philippines, Africa, Bali and Guatemala, Japan, Northern Australia, and throughout the Americas.

Often the home of crocodiles is fresh water bodies, in which predators live most of the day.

But due to good salt metabolism, some lizards are able to live in salty sea water. An example of such animals are the sharp-snouted and combed reptiles living in the coastal part of the sea.

Lifestyle and what they eat

The diet of a crocodile directly depends on its size: the larger it is, the more varied the menu. The predator mainly eats fish, shellfish, lizards, snakes, amphibians, and birds. However, mammals are, of course, recognized as the most favorite prey of water giants. A crocodile hunt is considered successful when the predator gets a wild boar, buffalo, deer or antelope as a delicacy. Predators' teeth include lions, leopards, hyenas, as well as kangaroos, hares, raccoons, and monkeys. Toothed creatures are capable of snacking on domestic animals, and sometimes even commit an act of cannibalism, eating their own kind. Crocodiles living in the seas feed on sharks, turtles, fish, and dolphins.

The crocodile swallows small prey whole, entering into battle with large prey. As a rule, it guards large animals at a watering hole, suddenly attacking and dragging potential food into the water. Strong and strong crocodile jaws easily crush animal bones. The predator effectively uses the death spin technique, tearing the prey to pieces in a matter of seconds. On the contrary, crocodiles try to drag large fish into shallow water: there it is easier to deal with aquatic prey.

Toothed predators eat quite a lot: their lunch is sometimes about 20% of the mass of the crocodile itself. Often the reptile leaves part of what it catches as a reserve, although it is often not saved and goes to other predators.

Spending a lot of time in the water, crocodiles go to land in the evening or morning, sunbathing. During the dry period, reptiles are able to hibernate, living in holes dug at the bottom of a drying reservoir.

Animal Reproduction

During the mating season, males lure potential “brides” with a variety of tricks. This set may include splashing their muzzle in the water, but most often the males prefer to make various sounds: growling, hissing, etc. After mating, the females lay eggs. To do this, use sand in the shallows or a nest consisting of mud and leaves. A clutch can contain from 10 to 100 eggs (their number depends on the type and size of the mother). In sunny places the depth of the hole will reach half a meter. The laid eggs are sprinkled with earth or sand. Often, female crocodiles try to stay near the clutch, protecting future offspring from potential enemies.

All eggs begin to hatch at once. While in the egg, the newborn crocodiles make sounds, and the toothy mother begins to dig up the sand, helping the children get out. Afterwards, the female carries the cubs to the water in her mouth. But this behavior is not typical of all crocodiles. Pseudogavial, for example, does not care about its offspring at all.

When carrying babies, the female is as careful as possible. It is interesting that during the procession, a crocodile can accidentally pick up and carry into the water, in addition to her children, and turtle cubs. For safety reasons, the latter often lay eggs near crocodiles.

What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator, caiman and gharial?

Although crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials belong to the same order, these animals are distinguished by their size and appearance.

The main difference between an alligator and a crocodile is, of course, the features of the muzzle. In a crocodile it is pointed and shaped like the Latin letter “V”, while the alligator’s muzzle is blunter and looks like the letter “U”.

Crocodiles are endowed with salt and lacrimal glands, which help remove salts from the body. It is thanks to this that they are able to live in the sea. Lacking such glands, the alligator lives only in freshwater bodies of water.

The main difference between crocodiles and gharials is the presence of the same glands in the former. Consequently, gharials are also unable to live in salt water. Their jaws are narrower, which is due to the type of food: these predators hunt exclusively for fish. The gharial's teeth are shorter and thinner than those of crocodiles, but exceed them in number (crocodiles have 66 or 68, gharials have about 100). The average dimensions of gharials and crocodiles are generally identical, but large specimens of crocodiles can exceed the maximum body length of the gharial.

Crocodiles and caimans belong to the same order, but are still representatives of different families. The main differences between these two animals are identical to those of crocodiles and alligators.

Where do the largest representatives of the species live?

In which countries do crocodiles live, distinguished by their impressive dimensions?

These lizards are rightfully considered the largest predators in various bodies of water on planet Earth.

Nevertheless, among them there are often frankly gigantic individuals, for example:

1. African narrow-snouted crocodile. Its length is 3-4 m. Reptiles live in the vast expanses of West Africa.
2. Cuban crocodile. The maximum recorded size of this crocodile is 4-9 m. It differs from its fellows in its bright color and long limbs. Lives in the swampy waters of Cuba, which prompted the appearance of this name.
3. Central American crocodile. It can reach a length of almost 4.5 m and weigh about 500 kg. This reptile is considered not only the largest, but also the fastest aquatic predator. This type of crocodile is common in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in US waters.
4. Nile crocodile. The largest individuals of the family can reach a length of 5.5 m and weigh half a ton. The record holder among crocodiles, whose habitat covers almost all of Africa, is an individual caught at the beginning of the 20th century. Its weight exceeded a ton, and its body length exceeded 6 m.
5. Sharp-snouted crocodile. The average body length of these animals ranges from 4-5.5 m with a weight of 500 kg.
6. Saltwater crocodile. Recognized as one of the largest and most massive representatives of the family. Particularly large reptiles reach 7 m in length and weigh almost 2 tons. This particular specimen was caught in the Philippine Islands area. Today this saltwater crocodile lives in the zoo and attracts many amazed glances from tourists.

Did you know? It is difficult to imagine how the life of modern mammals and people would have turned out if the now extinct largest crocodiles had remained alive.

Sarcosuchus and Deinosuchus were considered the real record holders in terms of size. Moreover, the first of them could reach a length of 15 m and weigh about 14 tons. The skull of the gigantic monster was truly enormous in size - up to 1.5 m in length. The animal's body was covered with a hard shell, protecting it from the bite of dinosaurs. Powerful jaws made it easy to catch herbivorous dinosaurs. These crocodiles lived on the territory of the modern African continent. But the real record holder is, of course, Deinosuchus - the largest crocodiles that ever lived. Lived about 80 million years ago. The skeleton of the giant found exceeded 16 m, and the weight was estimated to be about 15 tons.

Attentive and skillful hunters, crocodiles have terrified the inhabitants of water and land for many centuries in a row. These reptiles may belong to different species and have a number of differences, but in general, representatives of the crocodile family are similar in appearance and in terms of habits.

The Nile crocodile is a representative of the class Reptiles or Reptiles. This animal is one of the most ancient, unique and dangerous on the planet. The predator is rightly called the “king of the river”, because there are practically no equals to it in strength and adaptability. In this article you will find a description and photo of the Nile crocodile and you will be able to learn a lot about this strong and greatest predator.

The Nile crocodile looks scary and belongs to the Crocodilidae family. He is huge, very strong and has excellent camouflage. The predator has short legs, which are located on the sides of the body, scaly skin, a long combed tail and powerful jaws. The eyes, ears and nostrils of a crocodile are located at the top of the head. The reptile has extremely good hearing and vision.

The Nile crocodile looks inconspicuous due to its coloring. Juveniles are usually gray or light brown in color and have dark stripes on the back and tail. The older the individual gets, the darker the color becomes. The reptile's belly has a yellow tint. The massive, muscular tail of the Nile crocodile serves as a kind of accelerator and allows it to move quickly in the water. It occupies almost half the length of the reptile's entire body.

The jaw of the Nile crocodile holds 65 teeth and is one of the strongest on the planet. The predator can easily hold large animals and crush bone.

Thanks to the sensory organs located on the top of the head, the crocodile can almost completely submerge in water. This allows the animal to camouflage itself by hiding in the water, leaving only its eyes and the tip of its nose on the surface, while its large and long body is hidden under water.

The Nile crocodile looks massive and is the largest crocodile. This predator is the second largest crocodile in the world. Male Nile crocodiles are significantly larger than females.

The average size of adult males ranges from 3 to 5 meters in length. In this case, body weight varies from 300 to 700 kg. Individual males can reach more than 6 meters in length and weigh more than a ton. The average size of females varies from 2 to 4 meters, with a body weight of 200 to 500 kg. But there are also individual larger females.

Where does the Nile crocodile live? Features of behavior

The Nile crocodile lives in Africa and is one of the largest crocodiles on this continent. Inhabits freshwater lakes, rivers and swamps throughout almost the entire African continent. It is most common in African countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Zambia and Ethiopia. The number of Nile crocodile is quite high and stable, but in some countries of the continent this species is endangered.

The Nile crocodile lives in calm waters, with a sandy coastal area. It is not often that it can be found at a considerable distance from a body of water. This is usually associated with the search for a new habitat, and also if the reservoir dries up. Most often, the crocodile crawls on its stomach, but can run short distances at speeds of up to 14 km/h.

The Nile crocodile is a very experienced and successful swimmer. It usually dives for 2-3 minutes, but can remain underwater for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Submerges completely and silently under water, displacing the air from its large lungs. The Nile crocodile swims very quickly underwater. The tail helps to reach speeds in water of up to 30 km/h. Its ears, nose and throat are protected by valves, and its eye is covered with a thin transparent film. This predator has special receptors throughout its body. Thanks to which he easily picks up water vibrations and finds with what strength and where they come from.

The Nile crocodile lives a leisurely life - they are usually quite slow creatures, like many other cold-blooded animals. Most of the time they are on the shore or in shallow water, keeping their jaws open to avoid overheating. Also, opening the mouth is a sign of threat to other crocodiles. Nile crocodiles are very hostile and territorial predators.

Crocodiles can hibernate during the summer, which lasts from May to August. To do this, they dig a hole on the river bank. Once underground, where it is dark and cool, the animal's body temperature drops, and its metabolism, breathing and heartbeat slow down. In this state, energy is consumed minimally. This way the crocodile can retain enough strength until it needs it.

For many centuries, the large Nile crocodile has lived on the planet, causing horror, because it is capable of instantly and brutally killing both animals and people. The Nile crocodile has no enemies among other animals. Only man is opposed to a predator. The Nile crocodile is hunted for its skin.

The Nile crocodile, combining its large size and high level of aggression, creates a very high probability of attacking a person. The Nile crocodile lives close to underdeveloped populations and often comes into contact with people. It can attack a person when he is standing in the water near the shore, crossing shallow water, crossing a body of water, or lowering his feet into the water from a ship or pier.

Less often, especially large and hungry Nile crocodiles can capsize a boat or even attack on land. Fishermen and people whose activities involve water are at greatest risk. Careless hunters, tourists and travelers also become victims of crocodiles.

Nile crocodiles often attack humans, but they are not afraid of people, and perceive them as potential food. Female crocodiles who protect their cubs are very dangerous. Anyone who tries to get close to the offspring will be eaten.

What does the Nile crocodile eat and how does it hunt?

Adult crocodiles are at the top of the food chain - there are no predators that threaten them. This prehistoric animal eats everyone and everything in its path. The Nile crocodile is one of the strongest predators in the world. The Nile crocodile eats quite variedly. The crocodile is practically omnivorous. And the older and larger it is, the more food it requires and the larger its prey becomes.

Juveniles can get by on large fish and birds. As the Nile crocodile gets older, it feeds on larger animals that come to drink or cross the river. These are zebras, African buffaloes, wildebeests. It can attack elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, hippopotamuses and even lions. Nile crocodiles hunt by submerging completely under water, or leaving only their eyes and nostrils on the surface. It always attacks unexpectedly, jumping out of the water and almost instantly grabbing its victim.

In water, the Nile crocodile is highly mobile, using stealth, receptors and strength to find and capture its prey. It is virtually impossible to escape from it. It bites with an impressive force of 1 ton and tries to drown the victim. The reptile's jaws are equipped with muscles that contract extremely quickly, which makes the bite lightning fast and allows the jaws to snap shut at a speed of 9 m/s.

The Nile crocodile attacks prey at close range. He approaches and waits until the victim is within 2 meters of him. The crocodile jumps out of the water at a speed of 12 m/s, and its scaly skin makes it easier to maneuver in the water. The hind legs work like pistons and help push off from the river bottom, and the long tail allows it to accelerate towards the prey.

Their ability to successfully camouflage themselves underwater, combined with their high speed and explosive power, make Nile crocodiles excellent hunters of large prey. They can tolerate each other around and work as a group when attacking large prey.

The teeth of Nile crocodiles allow them to hold the body of the victim in their mouths and pierce it, but they do not know how to chew. However, this is not a disadvantage - the enormous bite force and body power allow Nile crocodiles to easily break bones and cut through the body of a large animal, bite off limbs and drown. They tear off pieces from a large carcass and swallow them whole. Their stomach is adapted for digesting large foods, in which anything can be dissolved, thanks to the high concentration of hydrochloric acid.

When a group of Nile crocodiles divides large prey, some of them hold the carcass, while others rotate around their axis, tearing out large pieces of meat from it. This is called a "death spin". Relatively small animals, Nile crocodiles mercilessly swallow whole. On land they are less mobile. They have a relatively slow metabolism and can go long periods without food. But given the opportunity, a Nile crocodile can eat half its body weight at a time.

Baby Nile crocodile - survival of baby crocodiles

During the mating season, males attract females in every possible way, making various movements and making different noises. Nile crocodiles become capable of reproduction at the age of 10-12 years, reaching a body length of 3 meters for males and 2 meters for females. Large males are usually more attractive to females.

Egg laying time occurs from September to December. Sandy beaches and river banks are chosen for nest construction. 2 months after a successful mating season, the female digs a hole up to 50 cm deep, two meters from the shore and lays an average of 40-60 eggs.

Having laid eggs, the female buries the nest for 3 months. She attacks anyone who tries to approach the nest. Despite such protection, many nests are destroyed by other animals if the female leaves. As the Nile crocodile cubs hatch, they begin to squeak and the mother tears open the nest. For many of them, the first moments of life are the last. Newborn Nile crocodile cubs have a body length of about 30 centimeters.

Nile crocodile babies are born at the bottom of the food chain - anyone can eat them. The female carries her cubs from the nest in her mouth to the nearest body of water. Cartilages located in the mother's mouth allow the jaw to be locked at any time of closure and tension to be regulated. The female can even lock her mouth open just 5cm, allowing her to carry up to 20 babies at a time without ever biting them.

The female has to make several passes, leaving the cubs in danger. While the female is not there, other predators hunt them. Less than half of the hatchlings will survive the first month of life. But the surrounding danger and the age of one month cannot keep the baby crocodile from doing what is inherent in them by nature - hunting and killing from the very beginning of their lives. They attack everything small that moves - insects, frogs, fish, the babies immediately grab them.

The mother takes care of the offspring for two years. In two years, crocodiles reach a size of 1.2 m and leave their native places. They look for a more suitable place to live, while avoiding the territories of older and larger crocodiles. The average lifespan of Nile crocodiles is 45-50 years, but there are long-livers up to 85 years old.

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The crocodile is the largest predator of the reptile class, ideally adapted to life in water.

The appearance of this monster with powerful short legs, its huge mouth studded with sharp teeth and a powerful tail capable of killing any large animal with a blow has always terrified people.

According to scientists, the crocodile is one of the few surviving descendants of prehistoric archosaurs, the closest relatives of lizards and dinosaurs.

Description of crocodiles

Crocodiles are huge, several meters in size, possessing incredible strength and very bloodthirsty reptiles that appeared on our earth at the same time as dinosaurs. They are direct descendants of ancient archosaurs who lived back in the Mesozoic era. This family connection is still reminiscent of the appearance of the crocodile, its lifestyle, method of obtaining food and habits.

The body, tail and legs are covered with lumpy hard skin, which has turned into ossified plates, somewhat reminiscent of sea coastal pebbles, which is where its name comes from. Krokodilos, translated from Greek, literally means “pebble worm.” Although the worm is not at all ordinary, but simply incredibly huge. The sizes of crocodiles, depending on the species, range from 2 to 6 meters, and their weight reaches almost a ton. There are also larger individuals, for example, saltwater crocodiles can reach a weight of 2000 kg. Females are usually almost half the size of males.

According to the existing classification, there are real crocodiles, alligators and gharials. The general structure of all species is quite similar and is maximally adapted to living in an aquatic environment: a flattened body, a flat head with a long snout, a long tail compressed from the sides and short legs. There are 5 toes on the front paws and 4 on the hind paws, connected by membranes. Eyes with vertical pupils, nostrils are located on the upper surface of the head, which allows the crocodile, completely immersed in water, to breathe freely and see everything in the area. They have very developed night vision, and their ear openings and nostrils can be covered with folds of skin.

These reptiles have an original respiratory system. They have large lungs that hold a lot of air, allowing them to hold their breath for a long time. Special muscles around the lungs can move the air in the lungs relative to the center of gravity, thereby regulating buoyancy. A diaphragm made of connective tissue can shift internal organs in the longitudinal direction, which changes the center of gravity of the body, ensuring the desired position of the body afloat and under water. In addition, the nasopharynx is separated from the oral cavity by the secondary bony palate, thanks to which the crocodile can keep its mouth open under water, while continuing to breathe with its nostrils located on the surface of the water, and the velum and a special valve do not allow water into the windpipe.

The crocodile has a unique circulatory system. The heart is four-chambered with two atria and two ventricles separated by a septum. But the special structure, if necessary, ensures in the aorta, leading to the digestive system, the replacement of arterial blood with venous blood saturated with carbon dioxide, which enhances the production of gastric juice and speeds up the digestive process. Therefore, a crocodile can swallow food in huge pieces or even whole, it will still be digested. His blood contains strong antibiotics that prevent infection even in very dirty water. In addition, hemoglobin in the blood of a crocodile carries several times more oxygen than in land animals and humans, so crocodiles are able to hold their breath and, without surfacing, remain under water for up to 2 hours.

The digestive system of crocodiles also has its own characteristics. So their teeth are constantly renewed every two years, so they are not afraid of losing a tooth, a new one will still grow. The tooth is hollow inside and a replacement grows in this cavity; as soon as the tooth wears off or breaks, there is already a ready-made one to replace it. The stomach is large and thick-walled; inside there are gastrolith stones, which the crocodile uses to grind food. The small intestine is short and passes into the large intestine with access to the cloaca. There is no bladder at all, probably due to life in water.

Crocodiles and alligators are different from each other. Externally, this is visible from the structure of the jaws. A real crocodile has a sharper muzzle, and when the mouth is closed, the fourth tooth of the lower jaw protrudes outward. The alligator has a blunt muzzle, and when the jaws are closed, the teeth are not visible. In addition, a real crocodile has special lingual salt glands on its tongue, and lacrimal glands near the eyes, which remove excess salt from the crocodile’s body. This is manifested by the so-called tears of a crocodile, due to which a real crocodile is able to live in salty sea water, and an alligator only in fresh water.

Almost all crocodiles, except for the fish-eating Ghanaian gharial, feed on animal food, or rather on everything that lives in the water and in the coastal zone. With age, their diet changes somewhat, but this is more likely due to their growth, increase in size and naturally the need for more food. Thus, young individuals hunt mainly for fish and small invertebrates and amphibians. Adults catch larger fish, water snakes, turtles, and crabs. Often their prey is monkeys, hares, kangaroos, porcupines, raccoons, martens, mongooses, in short, all animals that go to water, including domestic ones. Some of them become cannibals, that is, they eat each other. Large species, such as the Nile, combed, swamp and some others, are quite capable of dealing with prey that is larger than itself. Thus, Nile crocodiles often attack antelope, buffalo, hippopotamus, and even elephants. They eat a lot; at one time an adult crocodile is able to absorb food equal to a quarter of its weight. Sometimes part of the prey is hidden, although it rarely remains intact; usually it is taken away by other predators.

Crocodiles have unique hunting tactics. The crocodile, immersed completely in the water, leaving only its eyes and nostrils on the surface, quietly swims up to the animal drinking water, then with a swift throw it grabs the victim and pulls it into the water, where it drowns. If the victim resists strongly, then he, rotating around his axis, tears him apart. Crocodiles cannot chew food, they simply tear their prey into pieces and swallow it, swallowing small animals whole.

Another feature of crocodiles is that the cartilage in the bones of its skeleton is constantly growing and, as a result, the crocodile itself grows throughout its life, increasing in size over the years. By the size of a crocodile you can determine its age. And if you consider that some species of crocodiles live up to 70-80 years or more, it is not surprising that incredibly huge individuals of these reptiles can be found. In addition, crocodiles do not shed throughout their lives; their scaly skin grows with them and over the years it ossifies and becomes incredibly durable. Hardened rectangular plates on the skin, arranged in regular rows, eventually turn into a real impenetrable shell. It is because of this durable skin that crocodiles have become the subject of hunting by people, who have been using it for their needs for a long time. From time immemorial, people have made shoes, bags, belts, suitcases and other durable items from crocodile skin. Therefore, many species of crocodiles that lived on earth a couple of hundred years ago completely disappeared. There are now 23 species of these reptiles around the world.

The skin color of crocodiles depends on their habitat. Usually it is a protective dirty brown, gray, and sometimes almost black color. Quite rarely, albinos are completely white. Such individuals usually do not survive in the wild.

Like all cold-blooded animals, crocodiles' body temperature depends on the external temperature and therefore they live only in regions with a tropical climate. Crocodiles are common in Africa, Australia and Oceania, the countries of Indochina, and North and South America. Most species of crocodiles prefer fresh water, but crocodiles such as combed and sharp-snouted crocodiles are also adapted to salt water. For most species of crocodiles, the most favorable temperature is between 32-35 °C. Temperatures below 20 and above 38°C are extremely uncomfortable for them. You can often see a crocodile opening its mouth wide for a long time. This is done so that water evaporates from the mouth, cooling the body. At such moments, small birds sit in his mouth and peck off stuck pieces of food, thus cleaning his teeth. Crocodiles do not touch such birds and in the end both benefit.

For thermoregulation, these reptiles have special osteoderms under the horny plates of the shell that can accumulate solar heat, due to which the fluctuation in their body temperature during the day usually does not exceed 1-2 degrees. However, with the onset of cold weather or drought, many hibernate. They dig holes in the silt at the bottom of drying up reservoirs, similar to cracks, and lie in them, often several individuals together, until a comfortable temperature occurs. Although it was recently discovered that some species of crocodiles, by tensing their body muscles, can warm up the blood themselves, thereby raising body temperature by 5-7 degrees above the ambient temperature.

Lifestyle

The way of life of crocodiles is unique. They spend most of their time in the water. They come ashore in pursuit of prey or to bask in the sun. The main propulsion device in water for a crocodile is its tail. Acting with its tail like a huge oar, a crocodile can reach speeds of up to 30-35 km/h in the water. The tail also acts as a rudder, so both afloat and underwater the crocodile can abruptly change the direction of movement. On land, these reptiles are slow and rather clumsy, but when attacked they make very fast attacks. In the normal position, the crocodile’s legs are spread wide apart, but when running, it carries them under the body and can, changing to a gallop, cover short distances at speeds of up to 18 km/h.

According to scientists, the ancestors of crocodiles mainly lived on land and only went into the water when necessary. Therefore, they retained the ability to reproduce on land. Spending most of their lives in water, they lay eggs on land. Their ability to reproduce appears at 8-10 years of age. At this time, their length reaches about 2.5 meters in males, and up to 1.7 meters in females. The breeding season for southern species is in winter; northern crocodiles lay eggs in autumn.

Crocodiles communicate with each other in a voice similar to either a dog barking or a roar. With the onset of the mating season, the habitats of crocodiles are filled with their heart-rending roars, which means scaring away rivals and calling for females. Usually, during breeding, males show wild aggression among themselves, organizing fights to the death. To attract females, males, in addition to screaming, create noise by splashing their muzzles on the water. Having dealt with their rivals, the couple retires and spends time together. The female builds a nest in the shallows near the water. To do this, she digs a hole up to half a meter deep, covers it with leaves, branches, dirt or sand and lays from two to eight dozen eggs. When the clutch is ready, the female covers the nest with the same materials. In places with lush vegetation, nests are made entirely of branches and leaves, covering them with mud to retain heat.

Both parents take care of the safety of the clutch, staying nearby and protecting their future offspring from the encroachment of uninvited guests. And still, no more than 20% of the eggs are preserved in the clutch, because crocodiles’ nests are destroyed by other predators or people while the parents are away.

After three months, small crocodiles hatch from the eggs. At the same time, they squeak quite loudly, attracting the attention of the mother who, hearing these sounds, digs up the nest. If one of the crocodiles is unable to break the egg shell, the female helps them by carefully crushing the eggs with her tongue and palate, helping the cubs get out. These reptiles have another property inaccessible to other animals, which is that the sex of the future crocodile can be determined by the method of thermoregulation. If incubation takes place at a temperature of 32-33°C, approximately the same number of males and females are born. If the temperature is higher, there will be more males; if it is lower, there will be more females.

The cubs are quite small, the largest of the Nile crocodile are about 30 cm long. The babies themselves cannot get from the nest to the water, and therefore the mother takes several of them into her mouth and carries them to the water, where they can immediately swim. At first they grow very quickly. They feed on everything they can grab: mollusks, worms, bugs, blades of grass, fish fry and frog tadpoles. The crocodile takes care of her cubs for up to two years. During this time, there are very few of them left, but those that survive grow up to one meter in length and can already get by on their own.

Crocodiles are dangerous to humans to varying degrees. Some, such as the gharial, never attack people, others, like the saltwater and Nile crocodiles, will never refuse to attack if the opportunity presents itself. Well, such as the black caiman or the sharp-snouted crocodile attack quite rarely, mainly if they are provoked by the person himself or they are very hungry.

For many tribes in Africa, Indochina and Australia, crocodiles have been revered animals from time immemorial. And in the ancient cultures of these peoples, the crocodile was even considered a sacred animal. The ancient Egyptians considered the god Sebek, who was depicted as a man with a crocodile head, to be the patron of fishermen, who controlled the floods of the Nile, the main river of Egypt. Sebek, as the personification of strength and dexterity, was especially revered by hunters. Even the pharaohs turned to Sebek for blessings for good luck before battles with enemies. They believed that Sebek was a messenger of the god Ra, who arose from a stone.

Pharaoh Amenemhet III, on the site of present-day Kiman Faris, built the entire city of Shedit, which the ancient Greeks called Crocodilopolis, in which a temple was erected in honor of the crocodile god Sebek, and a huge labyrinth of 3000 rooms in which, according to Herodotus’ description, the priests kept a sacred crocodile decorated gold and diamonds as the earthly incarnation of Sebek.

How long this lasted is not known, but judging by the fact that after death, these sacred crocodiles, like priests and pharaohs, were mummified, and in Kom el-Breighat alone there is a cemetery where almost two thousand crocodile mummies were discovered; they were deified for more than one thousand years. Moreover, nearby are the remains of the pyramid of Amenemhat III himself.

Currently, in the natural environment, only a few live to a respectable age, and not because they develop some kind of disease, but because they are caught, killed and transferred to skin and meat. In many national cuisines, crocodile meat is considered a delicacy. In addition, due to the great demand for leather, there have been farms for their breeding in many countries for several decades. Crocodiles breed well in captivity, but they are not kept there for a long time; one and a half to two meters is enough to get a significant benefit.

As we have already mentioned, about two dozen different crocodiles now live on earth. Here are the main most common types.

Varieties

Saltwater crocodile, in Latin Crocodylus porosus is the largest of all existing ones. Otherwise called: sea, salty, Indo-Pacific, saltwater and even man-eating crocodile. This monster can be up to 7 meters or more in length, and weigh up to 2 tons. On its snout, from the edge of its eyes, there are 2 bony, comb-like protrusions, which is why it got its name. Typically, the saltwater crocodile is brownish in color with dark spots and stripes on the body and tail. It lives in sea lagoons and in the mouths of rivers flowing into the ocean, along the coasts of India, Indochina, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines. Often found in the open sea far from the coast. It feeds on any prey it can catch. In the water these are fish, turtles, dolphins, sharks, stingrays and other aquatic inhabitants. On land, these are animals going to water: antelope, buffalo, wild boar, kangaroos, bears, monkeys and domestic sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, cows, horses and of course waterfowl. He will not miss the moment to attack a person who is within his reach.

Nile crocodile or Crocodylus niloticus in Latin - the second largest after the crested one. On average, these African crocodiles range in length from 4.5 to 5.5 meters and weigh about 1 ton. Their color is mostly gray or light brown, with dark stripes on the back and tail. This is the most ferocious of all species, not taking into account any other animals even significantly larger than it in size. This animal alone is not afraid to attack a buffalo, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, giraffe, lion or even an elephant, from a fight with which it almost always emerges victorious.

Swamp crocodile— Crocodylus palustris, also known as Indian or magher. The marsh crocodile is also very large, up to 5 meters long and weighing on average about 500 kg. The color is dark green, marsh color. With its wide snout it looks like an alligator. Mager, translated from Hindi, means “water monster,” although Indian fishermen call it a robber, because these crocodiles steal fish, and when the opportunity arises, they attack the fishermen themselves. It lives in India and neighboring countries along the banks of rivers and lakes, and in swampy jungles. During times of drought, mageras burrow into the swamp mud and hibernate until the monsoon season begins. On the island of Ceylon there is a species of this crocodile called the Kimbula. The Ceylon crocodile can live in salt water and prefers lagoons along the ocean. He is very aggressive and attacks people quite often.

American razorback crocodile(Crocodylus acutus) is the most common of all species. It received this name due to the shape of its narrow, pointed muzzle. It grows up to 5 m in length and weighs up to 1000 kg. The color is usually green-brown or gray. It lives in rivers, lakes and swamps of Central America, the southern United States and northern South America. It feeds mainly on fish, waterfowl and turtles. When there is not enough food, it attacks livestock. Attacks on humans are very rare.

African narrow-snouted crocodile— Crocodylus cataphractus is quite large in size, living in swamps and tropical rivers of Western and Central Africa. The usual length is about 2.5 meters, but up to 4 meters are also found. It received this name because of its narrow muzzle. Unlike other crocodiles, the hard plates on its neck are arranged in 3-4 rows, and on its back they merge with the scales, for which it is called an armored crocodile. It feeds on fish and small aquatic inhabitants. It builds nests from plants on the shore near the water. We lay few eggs, no more than two dozen; the incubation period is longer than that of other species, often almost 4 months. The population of African narrow-snouted crocodiles is falling due to uncontrolled hunting. It is believed that there are no more than 50,000 of them left.

Orinoco crocodile- in Latin, Crocodylus intermedius is one of the rarest species. It is similar to the American sharp-snout both in appearance and in size, the length reaches up to 5.2 m. The color is light green and gray with dark spots. The muzzle is long, like that of an African narrow-snout. It feeds mainly on fish and small animals. During drought, when the water in the rivers decreases, it hides in holes on the river banks and hibernates. For a long time it was one of the most hunted crocodiles in South America, as a result of which almost all of them were exterminated. Now there are no more than one and a half thousand individuals left. It lives mainly in Venezuela and Colombia and on nearby islands.

Australian narrow-snouted crocodile— Crocodylus johnstoni, another name for Johnston's crocodile. It is not particularly large in size, but 3 meters in length and a weight of up to 100 kg are also impressive, especially since it reaches such dimensions around the age of 25. This crocodile has strong legs with large claws and a narrow, pointed snout, from which it gets its name. The color is mostly light brown, with dark stripes appearing on the body and tail. It feeds mainly on fish, but also does not refuse amphibians and small land animals. It lives in the west and north of Australia in rivers, lakes, and swamps with fresh water, which is why it is sometimes called the freshwater crocodile.

Philippine or Mindorek crocodile— Crocodylus mindorensis got its name from its habitat, these are the Philippine Islands and in particular the islands of Mindoro, Negros, Samar, Buzuanga, Jolo, Luzon. The crocodile is relatively small in size, no more than 3 meters in length. The muzzle is quite wide, somewhat similar to the New Guinea. The color is gray with transverse darker stripes on the body and tail. Lives in fresh water bodies: lakes, ponds, lakes, swamps. Sometimes he changes his place of residence and goes to the ocean coast. Usually active at night, during the day it lies in secluded places. It feeds on fish, small invertebrates, waterfowl and small animals that come to drink. Considered a rare species, only a few hundred remain in nature and has been listed in the Red Book since 1992.

Central American crocodile, Morelet's crocodile, in Latin Crocodylus moreletii. The name itself speaks of its habitat, widespread in the countries of Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize. A relatively small species, the maximum length is about 3 meters. The color is gray, sometimes gray-brown, there are dark stripes on the body and tail, the belly is lighter. The difference from other species is that its skin has fewer keratinized plates, they are located mainly on the top of the neck, the stomach does not have such protection at all, which is why it is called a soft-bellied crocodile. The population is limited, with only a few thousand left in the wild.

New Guinea crocodile or Crocodylus novaeguineae, a rather rare species, currently found only on the islands of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. This is a medium-sized crocodile, the maximum length is about 3.5, females up to 2.7 meters. Somewhat similar to its Siamese counterpart. The muzzle is narrow, slightly elongated. The color is gray with darker stripes on the body and tail. Lives only in fresh water, prefers swampy areas. This is a typical nocturnal predator, becoming more active at dusk. Food is mainly fish, birds, small animals and crustaceans and everything that can be handled. During the day he sleeps in secluded places. The skin of this species is not in particular demand, so the population is stable at around 100,000 individuals, although it is listed in the Red Book.

Cuban crocodile— Crocodylus rhombifer, medium and small in size. The usual length is up to 2.5 meters in length and weight is about 40 kg. They are also found up to 3.5 meters in length and weighing up to 200 kg. In 1880, a specimen 5.3 meters long was captured. Under natural conditions, it lives in Cuba in the swamps of the Zapata Peninsula conservation area and on the island of Isla de la Juventud. Although it is a relatively small crocodile, it is considered the most aggressive of all species. It has great agility and enormous bite force that reaches 2 thousand kilograms. It feeds on everything it can catch and handle. It attacks people very rarely, but it constantly hunts domestic animals, because although it is a semi-aquatic animal, it spends a lot of time on land. Another feature of this crocodile is the ability to jump high out of the water. It often happens that Cuban crocodiles jumping out of the water and snatched small animals or birds from tree branches.

Siamese crocodile— Crocodylus siamensis, a medium-sized species. The usual length is 3 meters, maximum 4 meters. The weight of males is up to 350 kg, and females no more than 150 kg. However, they sometimes interbreed with saltwater crocodiles and then the size of these hybrids can be much larger. Siamese crocodiles are a bit like saltwater crocodiles, especially the young ones. Their color is green-olive, and there are also dark green ones. They feed on fish, shellfish, reptiles, small animals and birds. Habitat of the country of Indochina: Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, found in Malaysia. Siamese crocodiles are an endangered species, listed in the Red Book. Now there are no more than 5 thousand of them, taking into account the fact that in Cambodia they are bred in nurseries.

African dwarf crocodile— Osteolaemus tetraspis, another name for the blunt-nosed crocodile, the smallest of all living on earth. It is only 1.5 meters long. It lives in Central and Western Africa, in tropical swamps and rivers. It feeds on fish, frogs, small reptiles, snails and even insects or carrion. This crocodile, due to its small size, is often susceptible to attack by other predators, but, compared to other species, it has good protection from ossified plates on the sides, neck and tail. Due to the inaccessibility of the regions where this species of crocodiles is located, it has been little studied. But, as far as we know, it is constantly hunted, since its skin and meat are in great demand. Although, according to the latest information, the African dwarf is not in danger of extinction.

Mississippi alligator- lat. Alligator mississippiensis, or otherwise the American alligator, is a large species of reptile from a separate family of alligators. Reaches a size of up to 4.5 m in length and a body weight of up to 400 kg. It differs from a crocodile in that it can live only in fresh water and easily tolerates cold. It lives in rivers, lakes and ponds of North America, mainly in the southern United States. It feeds on fish, turtles, reptiles, birds and small animals that live near water or come to drink: nutria, raccoons, muskrats, etc. It rarely attacks large animals and humans. For many years, Mississippi alligators have been bred on special farms for their skin and meat. Albinos of white color are often found among this species.

Chinese alligator— Alligator sinensis is much smaller than its American counterpart. The maximum length of these reptiles is a little over 2 meters, females up to one and a half meters. It feeds on fish, shellfish, snakes, small animals, and birds. The only place where this species lives is the Yangtze River basin in China. This is a rare species, almost completely exterminated by humans. In natural conditions there are several hundred individuals. Recently, Chinese alligators have begun to be bred on special farms for commercial purposes to obtain skins and meat. These reptiles are the calmest of all types of crocodiles; they can attack a person only for the purpose of protection.

Black caiman or Melanosuchus niger - one of the largest crocodilians. The body size of a male can reach 5.5 m and weight 500 kg. and more. Like all caimans, there are bony projections on the head behind the eyes that distinguish them from true crocodiles. Lives in lakes and rivers of South America. It feeds mainly on large animals that come to water: deer, monkeys, armadillos, otters, livestock, etc. He also does not refuse fish, including the famous piranha, which he is not afraid of, thanks to his durable shell of ossified scales. It is nocturnal, fortunately it has well-developed night vision, and the dark color is a good camouflage. Rare cases of attacks on people have been recorded.

Crocodile caiman, in Latin Caiman crocodilus or spectacled caiman, is relatively small in size. The usual body length is up to 2 m and weight is about 60 kg. He has a narrow muzzle and a specific bone growth between his eyes that resembles glasses. It lives in all bodies of water in Central America, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Dominican Guyana, Guatemala and the Bahamas. It feeds mainly on fish, crabs and shellfish. Sometimes it attacks wild boars, other caimans and even anacondas. Although quite often they themselves become victims of larger predators: black caimans, jaguars and large anacondas. The most common type of large population.

Broad-faced caiman in Latin, Caiman latirostris is medium-sized, usually just over 2 meters, olive green in color and has a wide jaw, which is how it got its name. It lives in rivers and mangrove swamps on the Atlantic coast of many countries in South America, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Often found in ponds near human habitation. It feeds mainly on fish, snails, and mollusks. Adult caimans catch turtles and capybaras.

The skin of the broad-faced caiman is in great demand, so as a result of poaching in the last century, large numbers of them were exterminated. However, due to the inaccessibility of its habitats, the population has survived; it is believed that between 250,000 and 500,000 individuals of this species now exist in nature.

Paraguayan caiman— Caiman yacare, yacar or piranha caiman. It received so many names for a reason; it is the most common species of caiman and crocodiles in general. It lives everywhere in swampy places, rivers and lakes of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. Relatively small, only 2 meters in length, the Yakar caiman is very voracious, eating a lot of fish, snails, aquatic invertebrates, and when they are caught, even snakes. It will not refuse unwary birds or small animals. It was named Piranha because of the special structure of its teeth; its long lower teeth protrude above the upper jaw, sometimes forming holes in it. It is quite aggressive, but it very rarely attacks a person, and then only if provoked.

Cuvier's dwarf smooth-faced caiman— Paleosuchus palpebrosus, one of the smallest crocodiles. The length of the male is no more than two, and the length of females is one and a half meters. Weight maximum 20 kg. The peculiar shape of the head with smooth brow ridges sets it apart from a number of its fellows. However, this gives it an advantage when digging the burrows in which it lives. In addition, the streamlined shape of the skull makes it easier for him to move in the water of rivers and streams with fast currents, when chasing prey: fish, crabs, shrimp and other aquatic inhabitants of the rivers of South America. Whenever possible, it hunts small land animals and avoids humans.

Schneider's smooth-faced caiman or the triangular-headed caiman - Paleosuchus trigonatus. The closest relative of Cuvier's dwarf caiman. It lives in the same areas as Cuvier's smooth-fronted caiman. Cuvier's head differs in appearance from the caiman; it has the shape of a triangle, and its muzzle is longer. The average size of males is from 1.5 to 1.7 meters, and their weight is about 15 kg; females are even smaller. Their diet, reproduction and lifestyle are the same.

Gavial or Gavialis gangeticus is the only representative of the gavial family from the order of crocodilians. The same reptile animal as a real crocodile, but with some differences. The gharial leads a mainly aquatic lifestyle; it rarely comes to land, most often only to lay eggs. This is a very large species, growing up to 6 meters in length. Usually the gharial is green-brown in color, the belly is somewhat lighter. It is distinguished from crocodiles by its narrow, long muzzle, somewhat similar to the beak of a prehistoric predator. Its long jaws, lined with teeth, are ideally suited for catching fish, which is the main diet of the gharial, although it does not refuse other marine life. Large gharials sometimes attack small coastal animals. Habitat: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar. They are believed to have been completely exterminated in Bhutan. Now the gharial is considered a rare animal and is listed in the Red Book.

Gharial crocodile, in Latin Tomistoma schlegelii, the closest and only relative of the gharial. In scientific circles it is also called pseudogharial, or false gharial. It looks very much like a gharial. It has the same elongated snout with narrow, toothed jaws, slightly shorter than those of the real gharial. They are also slightly smaller in size and their color is darker. Black stripes are visible on the body and tail. And in their lifestyle they are more land-dwelling, spending more time on land. Therefore, their diet is wider. In addition to fish, they happily catch and devour monkeys, pigs, monitor lizards, otters and larger ones such as antelopes and deer. They do not disdain turtles and snakes. In short, they behave like real crocodiles. Lives in Indonesia, Malaysia, on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Borneo. Previously found in Vietnam and Thailand, but since 1970 they have not been seen there anymore. Attacks on humans are very rare cases. Due to its narrow snout, the false gharial is considered not a dangerous species to humans, but there are confirmed cases of attacks on people in 2009 and 2012. Most likely, this was the result of disturbance of their habitats and a decrease in their usual prey.

No matter how bloodthirsty the crocodile is, in the imagination of most of our compatriots who have not encountered them in the natural environment, this is a completely normal animal. Well, a predator, so what. You never know there are predators in the world, a wolf and a bear, and even a hunting dog will not refuse to taste the fresh meat of a caught hare or partridge. In addition, the crocodile is often a character in books and films. Thus, the hero of Paul Hogan in the film directed by Peter Fayman “Dundee, nicknamed “Crocodile”, which received a Golden Globe Award, generally charmed the audience, showing how close people are to crocodiles with their passions and greed.

But thanks to some Russian writers and directors, children identify the crocodile with the quite friendly and fair characters of “The Familiar Crocodile” from Moidodyr or “Crocodile Gena.” Well, so be it, but explaining to children that in fact it’s better not to approach this toothy green log is still worth it.