Learn all about the characteristics of the crocodile, where they live, their longevity, what do crocodiles eat, morphology, reproduction, the way they hunt and much more.
What is it?
Currently this is part of a group of reptiles that includes fourteen subspecies, it is considered a semi-aquatic animal belonging to the category of Wild animals, which can be found in almost all continents, such as Oceania, Africa, Asia and America.
It is highlighted that the species that live today do not present great differences with those that date back more than fifty million years, that is, that the traits are very similar.
Their temperature is controlled by their behavior, this is called ectodermal animals.
What is the morphology of the crocodile?
These animals are quite long, with a flat body. Its tail reaches fifty percent of the total length of the crocodile, that is, this is half of its body.
As for its belly, it is of a lighter color than the upper part, as well as its texture since the part of the abdomen is much softer than the upper area. In this last area it has ridges, which fulfill the function of protecting it from attacks by other animals.
How does the crocodile move?
These animals are slow moving, because their four limbs are short.
Although being on land they are very slow in the water this changes, having great ability to swim especially when the place does not have great depth. If they are on land, the maximum they can walk is four kilometers per hour. In the water, its best tool is its tail.
Features
These animals have various characteristics that make them very amazing, and each of them has allowed them to live on earth for at least fifty-five million years.
Its skill when taking prey, its way of biting, its breathing are a constitutive part of this amazing animal, as shown in great detail in the different segments from:
crocodile nervous system
- The brain of this animal is quite small despite the fact that its body is usually large, when compared to an object its size reaches the length of the thumb of an adult person.
- Something quite similar between these animals and human beings is that they have gray matter in their brain, having a cerebral cortex.
- Being this in such a way, the crocodile has memory and intelligence although quite scarce, the cerebellum is quite complex and allows him to take control of his movements.
- It has quite developed sight and smell.
Longevity
Their life expectancy is quite high, not as long as the Galapagos turtles, but if they live to at least seventy years of age but even individuals have been found that reach one hundred and twenty years.
The great longevity of these reptiles is due to the fact that they can get used to places without problems to get food and without presenting any type of disease, living in a harmonious way.
your breath
- Its lung capacity is quite high, since it can contain oxygen and with it survive for a long time. This ability is so impressive that they can last even in the water for more than three days without coming out to breathe once, they are extremely controlled in this regard.
- When they are submerged in water, they really use up little energy, since they make few movements, only the necessary ones, therefore they do not spend energy in the lungs, saving it until their next breath.
Habitat
The most common area to find a crocodile is on the African continent, but there are also crocodiles in various countries in the Americas, on the Asian continent and in Australia.
In those rivers where the water runs calmly, it is very common to find a crocodile, since they are places to their liking, where they can be placidly without environments where they are abruptly interrupted.
But it still likes currents so they don't have to exert much force to move from one place to another.
Food
They are quite stealthy animals and their movements are quite slow, a very useful skill when feeding, they look for live animals, preferably mammals.
However they can feed on any animal they get, they can eat insects, toads and other amphibians, they can also eat Birds of different species and fish.
This feeding capacity is one of the characteristics that has allowed it to survive for so many millions of years, adapting to what it gets to consume.
Reproduction
- These animals are classified as oviparous since they fertilize internally with eggs.
- The females and males of these animals do not reach their sexual maturity at the same time, but the females reach it once they reach their tenth birthday, while in the case of the males their maturity begins at the age of sixteen.
- Spring is mostly the time when they begin their reproduction with competition between males through bellows.
Skin
- Their skin is scaly, which has keratin, this being a material that is also common in humans, in the compound of their nails.
- Beneath their scales are bony plates called osteoderms.
- This type of formation in their skin allows them to be flexible but at the same time have hard skin.
crocodile hunting
In many parts of the world this type of hunting has been prohibited, however there are places where it is allowed or, on the contrary, it is carried out clandestinely.
It is very common for crocodiles to be hunted in US areas such as Florida, Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico.
There are those who dedicate themselves to this to reduce their population as it is a great threat to the human race and others who only do it for fun and exploit.
Differences between crocodiles and alligators
There is usually great confusion regarding this aspect, but really these two animals are from different families, their differences are:
- snouts: the crocodile has a V-shaped snout while the alligator has a U-shaped snout.
- Scales: crocodiles have scales, holes and spots that alligators lack.
- Habitat: Both animals can live in fresh water, however, the same does not happen with salt water since in this one you can only get crocodiles.
In danger of extinction?
Since 1996 it was established that the American crocodile was a vulnerable animal and as of 2007 it was established that it was in danger of extinction just like the White Tiger. In all of America today there are only about five thousand species of crocodiles.
Curiosities
- People have been found in the stomach of crocodiles.
- When a tooth falls out, they generate a hole again, so that a new one comes out.
- They like birds because they clean their teeth, so they seek to live in harmony with them.
- In different parts of the world it is a revered animal, as is the case in Australia.
- During the day they bask in the sun and at night they hunt and eat.
