Crocodile - Facts about crocodiles - a reptile with a prehistoric lookThe larger the crocodile becomes, the larger it´s prey...Alligators are part of the crocodile family and you can usually tell them apart by their snouts Crocodiles are the most advanced of all reptiles despite their prehistoric look Unlike other reptiles they have a four-chambered heart, diaphragm and cerebral cortex.
Their external morphology on the other hand is a sign of their aquatic and predatory
lifestyle. A crocodile’s physical traits allow it to be a successful predator. They have
a streamlined body that enables them to swim faster. They also tuck their feet to their
sides while swimming, which makes the animal even faster, by decreasing the water
resistance. They have webbed feet which, although not used to propel the animal through
the water, allow it to make fast turns and sudden moves in the water or initiate swimming.
Webbed feet are an advantage in shallower water where the animals sometimes move around
by walking. Where Can You Find Crocodiles? There are 23 species of crocodile and they
inhabit the Southern reaches of the world. They can be found in the swamps and everglades
of the southeastern U.S., in Central and South America, in Africa, Australia, India,
Pakistan, Malaysia and Borneo. What’s the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?
Alligators are part of the crocodile family. You can usually tell them apart by their snouts.
Alligators have broad snouts while crocodiles have long, tapered ones. American alligator´s
teeth only show if their mouths are open. American crocodiles, even with their mouths
snapped shut, display a tooth on either side of their lower jaw. Other crocodiles can show
a bristle of sharp, lower teeth. How crocodiles makes crocodiles It all begins when a large male crocodile spots
a female that catches his eye. He bellows and splashes, slapping his snout on the water
to get her attention. He grunts and growls, and sometimes, inhales as hard as he can,
submerging his snout and blowing water through his nostrils, producing a fountainlike spray.
If the female is willing, the pair rubs the undersides of each other’s jaws while sending
out warbling sounds—the beginning of a courtship.
The female crocodile is ready to lay her eggs nearly two months after mating.
She scouts the area for a suitable nest site in which to lay the eggs,
usually digging a hole on a riverbank, shoreline, or dry streambed. She deposits
from 25 to 80 eggs in the nest, then settles in for a long vigil. For a reptile,
it’s an unusual display of devotion. Other reptiles lay their eggs, then move on.
The female crocodile, however, will keep constant guard over the nest... The Nile crocodile Among many reptile species in Africa,
the crocodiles have somehow stolen the arena by being the most vocal and other adaptations.
Unlike other reptiles they do not shed their skin and instead grow with it.
These dinosaur-like creatures are usually spotted while basking in the early morning
sun and late afternoon on the river banks. In the middle of the day when temperatures
are higher they lie in the shallow waters sometimes with half of the body partially
submerged. It is their way of warming up or cooling behavior.
Being creatures of the water, they are great swimmers and divers. Their respiratory
a tissue flap that seals off while under water. These enable them to open the mouth and
not choke underwater. In addition, crocodile´s nostrils close while diving and the same
case happens with the external ears. Most reptiles do not have the external ears.
Their vision under the water is very good and is facilitated by the nictitating
membrane (transparent third eye membrane). This keeps water out of the eye hence
no vision interference. The Saltwater Crocodile is usually found in deep, dark murky water
It may inhabit fresh or
saltwater but is most commonly found in the brackish estuary areas of Northern Australia.
Saltwater Crocodiles take a wide variety of prey, although juveniles are restricted to
smaller items such as insects, amphibians, crustaceans, small reptiles and fish. The larger
the animal becomes, the larger its prey items are. Although a large male crocodile could
take on a food item as large as a 1 tonne Water Buffalo, the majority of their diet
consists of relatively small prey items such as crustaceans, fish, turtles, small
mammals and birds. Crocodilians are grouped into one of three families. Crocodylidae,
Alligatoridae and Gavialidae. The American alligator belongs to the sub family
Alligatorinae which includes five species of caiman and one other alligator,
the Chinese Alligator. American Alligators are a fairly large species with
the males reaching sizes between 4 and 4.5m in length.
There's this little duck swimming sadly round and round, in tears.
The crocodile asks: Books about the crocodile 
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