Crocodile Profile

Crocodiles are large reptiles that habitat the tropics of the Americas, Commonwealth of australia, Africa and Asia. Europe is the simply continent that they don't natively live in.

They are members of the society Crocodilia, which also includes alligators, caimans, and gharials.

crocodile facts

Crocodile Facts Overview

Habitat: Wetland areas – Freshwater rivers, or lakes. Or saltwater – residing in estuaries, lagoons, or mangrove swamps.
Location: Africa, Asia, The Americas, Australia
Lifespan: 35 – 75 Years
Size: four.9 – 23 ft (1.five m – 7 yard)
Weight: forty – 2,600 lb (eighteen – i,200 kg)
Colour: Dark greenish when adult. Xanthous with black striples when immature.
Diet: Fish, Amphibians, Birds, Reptiles, Mammals
Predators: Other crocodiles. Big cats, such as jaguars and leopards. Anacondas and pythons. When small, large birds, such as heron or shoebill.
Top Speed: 35 Kph (22 Mph) Swimming
No. of Species:
14
Conservation Status:
4 Species Endangered: Orinoco, Philippine, Cuban, Siamese

2 Species Vulnerable: American, Dwarf.

Crocodiles are semi-aquatic and live in wetland areas, freshwater rivers or lakes, or saltwater –  residing in estuaries, lagoons, or mangrove swamps, rather than far out at bounding main.

There are fourteen species of crocodiles, which vary in lifespan betwixt 35 – 75 years, and considerably in size. The smallest, the Dwarf Crocodile, grows to an average 4.nine feet (1.5 meters) in length, and weighs 40 – 71 pounds (18 to 32 kg, or 3 to five stone).

The largest crocodile is the Saltwater Crocodile, which can grow up to 23.0 ft (seven.0 m) in length, weighing ii,200 – two,600 lb (i,000 to 1,200 kg, or 150 to 190 rock).

Some species are agile during the mean solar day, while other species are only nocturnal. Crocodiles mostly hunt at night, are carnivorous animals and very efficient hunters, with excellent hearing and eyesight.

They are aggressive, deadfall predators, waiting for their prey to venture close to their hiding position, before rushing to set on. A crocs diet generally includes other animals, reptiles, birds and fish.

Interesting Crocodile Facts

i. Crocodiles are carnivores, which generally means they eat only meat. Yet, a contempo study proved they likewise savor an occasional taste of fruit.

The 2013 study concluled "in that location is little incertitude that on occasion, fruit is deliberately consumed, often in large quantities", forth with their normal meat-heavy diets of mammals, birds, and fish. 1

2. Crocodiles can get through 4,000 teeth over a lifetime.

Crocodiles accept betwixt sixty-110 teeth. When a crocodile loses a tooth, there is a small-scale replacement already on standby. They are able to supplant each of their fourscore teeth up to fifty times over their lifespan. 2

crocodile teeth

iii. A crocodile's jaws tin can employ 5,000 pounds of pressure per square inch – the strongest bite of whatsoever animal in the world.

A homo's jaw only produces 100 pounds of pressure per square inch in comparison. A crocodiles bite is 10 times more than powerful than a slap-up white shark. iii

4. Crocodiles have relatively weak jaw opening muscles, which can be held shut with just a safety ring, or your blank hands.

Although, that's not advisable! However, it has enabled scientists to study them closer!

5. An easy manner to tell the divergence betwixt a crocodile and an alligator, is when a crocodile closes it'due south oral fissure, all teeth are visible – as the upper and lower jaw are the same width.

Whereas an alligator possesses small depressions in the upper jaw for the lower teeth, meaning they are not visible when their oral fissure is shut. iv

6. Another fundamental difference to an alligator is snout shape. Alligators have wider, U-shaped snouts, while crocodiles are more than pointed and V-shaped.

Crocodiles are generally a little more aggressive, and ofttimes larger and stronger, too.

7. The longest crocodile captured alive measured 6.17 grand (xx.2 ft) and weighed at i,075 kg (2,370 lb) by a National Geographic squad in Agusan del Sur Province, Philippines.

'Lolong' was a saltwater crocodile and the largest ever in captivity. 5

eight. Crocodiles don't sweat. To go along cool, they open their mouths which is known every bit "mouth gaping," very similar to panting.

They are not displaying assailment when you see them with their mouths wide open! They often sleep with their mouths wide open up to release heat.

crocodiles mouth gaping

nine. Crocodiles are extremely fast in the water, swimming upwardly to speeds of 35 kilometers per hour (22 mph).

They use their powerful tails to propel themselves through h2o, and their feet as rudders to steer. 6

10. Information technology's a common myth that crocodiles can run fast on land. They tin 'belly run' up to 17 kilometers per hour (eleven mph) for short distances.

Crocs tire easily on country and adopt to stay in h2o, coming aground only to enjoy in the lord's day, or to lay eggs.

11. Crocs tin can hold their breath underwater for more than an hour.

Cambridge researchers have shown that this ability depends on a tiny fragment of the animal's haemoglobin, which is the protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the remainder of the body. seven

12. Crocodiles swallow pocket-size stones to improve digestion. These stones help grind upward the nutrient in their stomachs.

Swallowing stones (known every bit 'gastroliths') is especially beneficial for crocodiles that swallow their prey whole, or for tougher animals with shells and bones. A gastrolith tin can remain inside the stomach for years.

13. The expression to cry 'crocodile tears' (to display insincere or a faux display of emotion), derives from crocodiles shedding tears, while they eat their prey.

While this was originally an ancient belief, studies take shown that crocodiles eyes exercise water while they consume, just non with remorse – for biological reasons, due to the hisses and huffs during feeding. 8

14. Crocodiles have astute senses, an evolutionary advantage that makes them highly successful predators.

Crocodiles are mainly nocturnal hunters and take first-class night vision. Their sense of smell and hearing are likewise extremely well developed.

15. Crocodiles have been known to occasionally cannibalize smaller crocodiles.

At that place have been recorded cases of larger crocodiles eating smaller, or younger crocs. 9

sixteen. Crocodiles are deadfall and opportunistic predators, capable of preying upon large mammals, such as smaller elephants, hippos, sharks or large cats.

Some species like the freshwater crocodile will mostly eat fish, while larger species similar the saltwater crocodile or the Nile crocodile, will consume buffalo, zebra, deer and wild boar.

17. Crocodiles have the most acidic stomach of any vertebrate.

This allows them to dissolve and assimilate bones, hooves and horns or shells from their prey.

xviii. Crocodiles perform a 'death curl' to overcome casualty, clamping on using their jaws, and spinning around powerfully.

The spinning motility of the roll disorientates the prey, dragging them under the h2o and helps carve up limbs from the body of larger animals to hands ingest.

crocodile death roll

nineteen. Crocodiles vocalize to communicate. The immature of some species squeak and grunt, while developed crocs tin growl, hiss or roar at each other.

Many species volition as well answer to other noises, such as engine dissonance, gun shots or even people mimicking crocodiles.

20. Crocodiles tin can sleep with one eye broad open.

Only some other reptiles, birds and dolphins can do the same. They generally slumber with ii optics closed, though. 10

21. Larger crocodiles tin can go for over a year without eating a meal.

A croc's metabolism is super efficient, using and storing near the entirety of the food it consumes.  In extreme circumstances, they are able to shut down and live off their own tissue for a long period of time.

22. Worldwide, crocodiles are estimated to kill about i,000 humans per yr.

Hundreds of those crocodile attacks occur in Africa, often in minor commuinities where they non widely reported. 11

Crocodile Fact-File Summary

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Course: Reptilia
Order: Crocodilia
Family unit: Crocodylidae
Subfamily: Crocodylinae

Species List & Habitat

Species Name Habitat
American Crocodile Southward Floria & Caribbean Basin
Slender-Snouted Crocodile Central & Western Africa
Orinoco Crocodile Colombia & Venezuela
Freshwater Crocodile Northern Australia
Philippine Crocodile Philippines
Morelet's Crocodile Mexico, Belize & Guatemala
Nile Crocodile Sub-saharan Africa
New Guinea Crocodile New Guinea
Mugger Crocodile Indian subcontinent
Saltwater Crocodile Southeast Asia, Northern Commonwealth of australia
Cuban Crocodile Islands Of Cuba
Siamese Crocodile Indonesia, Negara brunei darussalam, East Malaysia & Indochina
West African Crocodile Western & Central Africa
Dwarf Crocodile Western Africa

Fact Sources & References

  1. S. G. Platt, R. M. Elsey, H. Liu, T. R. Rainwater, J. C. Nifong, A. Due east. Rosenblatt, M. R. Heithaus, F. J. Mazzotti. "Frugivory and seed dispersal by crocodilians: an overlooked grade of saurochory?" Journal of Zoology, 2013.
  2. Poole DFG (1961). "Notes on molar replacement in the nile crocodile, crocodilus niloticus". Proc Zool Soc Lond 136:131–160. Wiley Online Library.
  3. Gregory Yard. Erickson (2012), "Crocodiles Take Strongest Bite Ever Measured", via National Geographic.
  4. J. Bryner, 'What's the Difference Between Alligators and Crocodiles?' Via Alive Science.
  5. C. Dell'amore, 'Giant Crocodile Breaks Size Record—Suspected in Fatal Attacks' Via National Geographic.
  6. Molnar, J. L.; Pierce, S. East. & Hutchinson, J. R. (2014). "An experimental and morphometric examination of the relationship between vertebral morphology and joint stiffness in Nile crocodiles",
  7. G.Vines (1995), "Why crocodiles rarely come for air", New Scientist.
  8. B. Handwerk (2007), "Crocodiles Actually Shed Tears While Eating", National Geographic
  9. A. Jones (2015), "Crocodile cannibal caught on camera in 'horrifying' assault", BBC News.
  10. K.Knight (2015), "Slumbering crocs keep an eye out for threats", Journal of Experimental Biological science
  11. M. Hogenboom (2015). "Why do crocodiles attack humans?", via BBC Globe.