Amazing Crocodile facts
Amazing Crocodile facts
Nile Crocodile
KINGDOM: Animalia PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Reptilia
ORDER: Crocodilia
FAMILY: Crocodylidae
GENERA: Mecistops, Crocodylus, Osteolaemus
Crocodiles are large, carnivorous reptiles of the order Crocodilia, found in tropical and subtropical regions. Crocodiles live in swamps or on river banks and catch their prey in the water. They have flattened bodies and tails, short legs, and powerful jaws. The eyes, ears, and nostrils are located near the top of the head and are exposed when the crocodile floats on the surface of the water. The ears and nostrils have valves that close when the animal is submerged.
1. Most crocodiles are more aggressive than the related alligators. The two forms are distinguished by the long lower fourth tooth: in crocodiles, but not in alligators, this tooth protrudes on the side of the head when the mouth is closed. Also, the snouts of most crocodiles are narrower than those of alligators.
2. Crocodiles are modern day dinosaurs having existed for over 200 million years.
3. Crocodile have the strongest bite force (5,0000 pounds per square inch) of any animal on Earth today.
4. The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile species. It can grow up to six metres and is a serious threat to humans. Saltwater crocodiles have evolved special characteristics that make them excellent predators.
5. Large saltwater crocodiles can stay underwater for at least one hour because they can reduce their heart rate to 2-3 beats per minute. This means that crocodiles can wait underwater until they see prey, or if people are using the same spot regularly, the crocodile can wait underwater until someone approaches the water’s edge. A crocodile can float with only eyes and nostrils exposed, enabling it to approach prey without being detected. When under water, a special transparent eyelid protects the crocodile’s eye. This means that crocodiles can still see when they are completely submerged.
6. The tail of a crocodile is solid muscle and a major source of power, making it a strong swimmer and able to make sudden lunges out of the water to capture prey. These strong muscles also mean that for shorts bursts of time crocodiles can move faster than humans can on land.
7. Crocodiles have a thin layer of guanine crystals behind their retina. This intensifies images, allowing crocodiles to see better at low light levels.
8. Crocodiles have a ‘minimum exposure’ posture in the water, which means that only their sensory organs of eyes, cranial platform, ears and nostrils remain out of the water. This means that they often go unseen by prey, but if they are observed, the prey is often not able to tell how big the crocodile is.
9. Crocodile eyes are located very closely together and they are oriented forward. This enables them to judge distance very accurately so they can determine the exact location of their prey prior to attack.
10. Crocodiles have excellent hearing, which helps them to locate prey particularly in poor light or low visibility conditions.
11. While crocodiles may regularly lose teeth, they have a second tooth sitting in reserve underneath the external tooth, which can replace the lost tooth.
12. The jaws of crocodiles are designed to generate enormous power when the jaws are closing. This enables them to quickly crush prey.
13. Crocodiles grow large very fast and soon become a dangerous size, so large that they can kill and eat their owners.
14. Crocodiles are the smartest of all reptiles. They have a developed cerebral cortex, which means they can retain memory and use that memory to plan ahead.
15. Since crocodiles are cold blooded, they use the environment to regulate their body temperature instead of their brains. In fact, they are the only know species in the whole world that can move their own heart valves when they want to in order to change the amount of blood flow to different parts of their bodies.
16. Crocodiles can see as good as an eagle. They also see in color. Crocodiles have three eyelids on each eye. They have one just like our eyelids which comes from the top down; then they have one that closes from the bottom up; and the third one is a clear one that comes from the inside corner of their eye.
17. When they are out of the water they also have a keen sense of smell and can hear well.
18. When they go under water, flaps shut their ears and nostrils. Crocodiles also have special pores called ISO’s that detect pressure changes and vibrations in the water.
19. American crocodiles are considered the most vocal of all Crocodilians. Crocodiles can jaw smack, tail smack, bellow, and moan; but most crocodile communication occurs under the water and in frequencies so low (subsonic) that we cannot hear them. Much like bats ‘talk’ so high we cannot usually hear them.
20. Humans are apex predators. An animal that has no predators other than it’s own species or humans.
21. Never feed crocodiles - it is illegal and very dangerous.
22. Never swim in a lagoon at sunrise and sunset. That is the time of day when crocodiles feed.
23. When fishing be sure to stand back several feet from the shore.
24. Never clean fish or discard fish scraps near the water’s edge or at boat ramps/docks. Take your scraps back out to sea.
25. Stay away from crocodile slide marks. Crocs may still be close-by.
26. Do not dangle you arms or legs over the side of a boat, including kayaks.
27. Never poke or harass a crocodile, even small ones or babies. The mother crocodile may be nearby.
28. Never through food scraps at the water’s edge. It attracts fish and raccoons, which in turn attracts crocodiles.
29. Be more aware of crocodiles at night.
30. The Egyptian Plover which is said to enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the crocodile. According to unauthenticated reports, the plover feeds on parasites that infest the crocodile's mouth and the reptile will open its jaws and allow the bird to enter to clean out the mouth.
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