If you are interested in crocodiles and just want to see them in the wild, then this article is for you. Here we will tell you about the places where you can see these amazing reptiles in the wild.

Crocodiles in Australia

If you are keen to see large crocodiles in the wild, then Australia is the country to go to. This continent is famous for the largest living crocodiles - saltwater crocodiles. This reptile reaches a length of more than 6 meters and weighs more than a ton.

If in many countries you can see crocodiles mainly in nature reserves and National Parks, then in Australia these reptiles have inhabited almost all the rivers of the northern coast of the country. Crocodiles are not only found in wild areas, but are often caught in areas densely populated by people. For example, in Fanny Bay, on the shores of which the largest city in the Northern Territories of Australia, Darwin, is located.

In Australia there are National Parks and Nature Reserves, and simply crocodile parks, where saltwater crocodiles can be seen in the wild. In some areas, special shows with feeding these reptiles are organized for tourists.

For thrill-seekers, the special Crocosaurus Cove crocodile park in the center of Darwin offers the Cage of Death attraction. Those who want to tickle their nerves in a special glass cage (made of very durable glass) are immersed in a pool with huge crocodiles. Daredevils can watch these huge cannibals at arm's length.

For lovers of Africa, the National Parks of the Republic of South Africa cordially open their doors. Those who want to observe crocodiles in the wild are recommended to go to the Kruger National Park and Mapungubwe National Park.

In South Africa you can observe Nile crocodiles. They are slightly smaller than their Australian brothers, but no less bloodthirsty. Large individuals can reach lengths of more than 5 meters and weigh up to a ton.

Here, of course, you will not be offered the same conditions as in Australia, but you can observe reptiles while sailing along the river in a comfortable pleasure boat.

Crocodiles in Uganda

If South Africa is a Europeanized Africa, then in Uganda you can see a piece of untouched Africa.

Crocodiles can be seen here in National Parks and Nature Reserves. To do this, you can visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.

Crocodiles in Uganda can be observed during river and lake tours. There are a great variety of reptiles here, so there will be no shortage of thrills.

Crocodiles in Thailand

If you want to not only look at crocodiles, but also taste them, then your path goes straight to Thailand. It is in this Asian country that there are a huge number of crocodile farms where crocodiles are raised for their valuable skin and meat.

Don’t think about it, there are still crocodiles in the wild in Thailand, and there are even tours in some reserves where tourists can see these reptiles in the wild.

But if you really want to see the show and taste a crocodile, then you should definitely visit one of the crocodile farms. Experienced Thai trainers will show you an unforgettable show, and virtuoso chefs will prepare dishes with amazing taste.

Alligators in the USA

Alligators differ from real crocodiles in their calmer disposition, although they are often not inferior in size to their aggressive relatives. In the United States, common crocodiles are found, but alligators dominate. If you want to see alligators, you should visit the states of Florida and Louisiana.

For those who like “very thrills”, it is recommended to visit the Swamp of Ghosts in Louisiana. This place is located near New Orleans. The place itself evokes terrible fear. According to legend, it was cursed by the black voodoo queen at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, many of the settlements along the swamp have died out, and now only the ruins of houses stand. And huge alligators came to the places where people once lived.

During an airboat tour of the park, you can see hundreds of alligators. And then a bright show awaits you, during which an experienced presenter will tell and show what you should do if you had to encounter an alligator or crocodile in the wild.

How much does it cost?

If you are going to see crocodiles in the wild, you should understand that this pleasure is not cheap.

The most affordable option is Thailand. With a departure from Kyiv or Moscow, such a tour can cost $1000-1200 per person.

After it comes the USA. Such a trip can cost $1200-1500 per person. Although the cost of the flight is approximately the same, and maybe even less, than to Thailand, the cost of living in the country will be more expensive.

Next on the list are Uganda and South Africa. The cost of such a trip will be $2000-2500 per person.

And Australia will cost the most. Due to the remoteness of this country from Kyiv or Moscow, air tickets will be quite expensive. The cost of such a trip will be $2500-3500 per person.

When is the best time to go see crocodiles?

You can go to Thailand at almost any time of the year. The climate there is stable, and tourists are welcome all year round.

The same situation is in the USA. Although due to Atlantic hurricanes, it is not recommended to visit Florida and Louisiana in August-September.

It is better to go to Uganda in the middle of winter or summer. The country is located on the equator and has a fairly stable temperature climate. And spring and autumn are the rainy seasons.

You can go to South Africa at any time of the year.

But it’s better to go to Australia in May-September. The rest of the time there is intense heat, and there is a high probability of forest fires, or rainy seasons, when large areas are flooded and movement around the area is difficult.

Crocodiles are a unique group of reptiles with a specific way of life. There are 22 species of crocodiles in the world, which form a separate order. In terms of body structure, crocodiles are very different from other reptiles and in their origin are closest to dinosaurs. For this, in the class of Reptiles they are even classified into a separate subclass, Archosaurs (that is, Ancient Lizards).

Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).

Crocodiles are usually divided into real crocodiles and alligators (which also include caimans), but outwardly they differ only in that alligators have a snout with a wide, blunt end, while crocodiles have a narrowed snout.

The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) feeds only on fish, which is why its snout is greatly narrowed.

The size of different species varies from 1.5 m in length for the blunt-nosed crocodile to 10 m in length for the Nile crocodile. All crocodiles have an elongated, slightly flattened body, a short neck and a large head with a greatly elongated muzzle. The legs of crocodiles are short and located, like all reptiles, on the sides of the body, and not under the body, as in birds and mammals. This arrangement of limbs leaves an imprint on the way crocodiles move.

The crocodile's paws have webbed membranes.

All crocodiles have a long and thick tail. The tail is flattened laterally and serves as a rudder, engine and temperature regulator. It is characteristic that the eyes and nostrils of crocodiles are located on the top of the skull. This allows animals to breathe and see while their body is completely submerged in water. In addition, crocodiles are able to hold their breath and can stay under water for up to 2 hours without surfacing.

Crocodile underwater.

Crocodiles have a small brain, but they are the most intelligent of all reptiles. They also have another progressive feature. Crocodiles are cold-blooded animals. But it turned out that crocodiles, by straining their body muscles, can arbitrarily warm up their blood so that their temperature is 5-7 degrees higher than the ambient temperature.

The body of crocodiles is covered with thick skin. Instead of the small scales that cover the body of other reptiles, crocodiles have large scutes. Their shape and size differ in different parts of the body and form a unique pattern. In many species of crocodiles, the scutes are additionally strengthened by subcutaneous bone plates, which on the head are fused with the bones of the skull. These plates create a kind of armor, making the crocodile's body invulnerable to attack from the outside. All crocodiles have a protective coloration: black, gray, dirty brown. It is extremely rare to come across white albino crocodiles. In nature, such animals usually do not survive.

The alligator is an albino.

Crocodiles are heat-loving animals and live only in the tropics and subtropics. They inhabit almost all parts of the world, except Antarctica and Europe. All crocodiles are aquatic animals, closely associated with bodies of water. The vast majority prefer to settle in small lakes and rivers with quiet currents.

The Mississippi alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) lives in impenetrable swamps.

But saltwater crocodiles inhabit sea lagoons and river deltas. These crocodiles, native to Australia and Oceania, often swim across wide sea bays and straits between islands.

Crocodiles are slow, but cunning. They spend most of their time motionless, lying in shallow water or passively drifting with the current. Often crocodiles become so frozen that birds and turtles mistake them for trees and climb onto their backs.

The crocodile mistook the body of his relative for a log and climbed onto it to dry off.

But this calmness is deceptive: as soon as the potential victim reaches the limits of its reach, the crocodile makes a sharp lunge. The powerful tail plays a significant role in this, with the movements of which the crocodile throws its body forward. The splash of water attracts other crocodiles and they instantly swim to the victim from all over the area.

A crocodile catches a heron who carelessly tried to sit on him.

Constant exposure to cool water reduces body temperature, and therefore overall metabolism. In order not to “freeze,” animals are forced to crawl onto land and bask on the shore for several hours. On land, crocodiles are also practically motionless.

Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) basking in the sun.

They move along the ground by crawling, clumsily spreading their paws and wagging their bodies from side to side. However, sometimes crocodiles can switch to a completely “combat” step, keeping their legs under their body. In case of extreme danger, a crocodile can even gallop at a speed of 12 km/h!

A crocodile crosses the road.

Crocodiles feed on any animal food that can be found in the water or on the shore. They mainly eat fish, as well as small animals and birds swimming in the pond. Young crocodiles, unable to attack such game due to their size, are content with hunting insects, mollusks, and frogs. But the largest species of crocodiles prefer not to waste time on trifles: they lie in wait for large animals that come to drink - buffalos, zebras, antelopes.

A crocodile caught a swimming wildebeest.

Crocodiles do not “discriminate ranks” and attack not only defenseless ungulates, but also lions, hippos and even elephants. The jaws of a crocodile have enormous strength. In addition, it has a special structure of teeth: in a crocodile they are located asymmetrically, so that the large teeth of the upper jaw correspond to the small teeth of the lower jaw. Thus, the teeth close together like a castle, making it almost impossible to escape from his mouth.

A saltwater crocodile rests with its mouth open.

But this jaw structure results in one problem for crocodiles - they can grab the victim, but cannot chew. Therefore, crocodiles either swallow it whole or tear off large pieces in a special way: they clamp part of the carcass in their teeth and begin to spin around their axis in the water, thereby “unscrewing” the piece of meat.

Crocodiles are solitary animals, but they calmly tolerate the proximity of their own kind. In waters rich in food, crocodiles constantly monitor the behavior of their fellows and, at the slightest sign of a meal, rush to join it. According to some observations, Nile crocodiles are able to coordinate their actions while hunting, surrounding and driving the prey into a ring.

Crocodiles eat a zebra together.

But friendly feelings are alien to crocodiles, they do not protect their brothers, and with a significant difference in size, a large crocodile is quite capable of eating a smaller one. It’s not for nothing that a hypocritical person is said to “shed crocodile tears.”

During the mating season, males show possessive instincts, protecting the territory from the invasion of competitors. Having met, the males start fierce fights. After mating, the female makes a nest on the shore from mud and grass and lays 20-100 eggs in it. She is constantly near the nest, often without food, and protects it from any attacks. The incubation period depends on the ambient temperature and lasts 2-3 months.

Crocodile's nest.

At the moment of hatching, the crocodiles emit a peculiar squeak and the mother immediately rushes to their aid. The female often takes the eggs in her teeth and gently rolls them around in her mouth, helping the newborns get rid of the shell. Newborn crocodiles are completely independent and immediately rush to the water; sometimes their mother helps them get to the reservoir: the crocodile takes the babies in her mouth and carries them to the water itself. In the first days, the female reacts sensitively to their voice, protecting them from all enemies. After a couple of days, the babies disperse throughout the pond and lose contact with their parent. The life of small crocodiles is very dangerous: in addition to numerous predators, crocodiles themselves can encroach on them. An adult crocodile will not fail to dine on its own offspring, so young crocodiles spend their first years constantly hiding in the thickets. But even so, the mortality rate reaches 80%. The only thing that saves crocodiles is that they grow very quickly at first. In the first 2 years of life, their size increases 3 times, then growth slows down. Crocodiles are animals that do not have a growth endpoint; they grow throughout their lives! And these reptiles live a long time - on average 60-100 years.

Despite their dangerous disposition, crocodiles themselves are very vulnerable and have a lot of enemies. Many large animals can match their strength to crocodiles. For example, lions lie in wait for small crocodiles on land, where they are clumsy, and hippos even in water are quite capable of biting a crocodile in half. Elephants that are attacked by crocodiles as infants can trample the predator to death as adults. In South America, crocodiles are hunted by jaguars and anacondas. But the biggest danger for crocodiles is... small animals! Herons and storks en masse catch small crocodiles, and on the ground they are joined by a whole army of crocodile egg lovers. Crocodiles' nests are destroyed by turtles, monitor lizards, baboons, hyenas, and mongooses.

People have been afraid of crocodiles since ancient times, because attacks by crocodiles on people are not uncommon. However, fear subsided when the unsurpassed qualities of crocodile skin were discovered. For the sake of this valuable material, crocodiles began to be hunted on an industrial scale and the fate of many species was endangered. The problem was partially alleviated by breeding crocodiles in captivity on special farms. Due to their low intelligence and pronounced predation, crocodiles cannot be tamed; it is impossible to control the behavior of these animals. However, the owners of crocodiles often organize special shows to demonstrate the “abilities” of their pets. Such false training is based on subtle manipulation of animal physiology, because a well-fed and even simply “hypercooled” crocodile is very passive. Despite this, accidents are not uncommon at such shows.

Currently, the condition of many species is alarming due to the destruction of the natural habitats of crocodiles.

The Mississippi alligator is endangered.

The largest crocodile is the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), which is found in India, northern Australia and the Fiji Islands. Its length can reach 7 meters, and its weight can be 1 ton! Five-meter individuals weigh at least half a ton. Moreover, the eggs that the female lays are no larger in size than those of a goose.

These amazing animals lived during the time of dinosaurs and they are one of those who were able to survive that difficult time. They love warm water, in which they spend almost all their time. They feed mainly on fish, mammals and reptiles. And their age can be determined by the rings on the cut of the bone, just like in wood.

The smallest crocodile is the dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), with adults barely reaching 190 cm in length. It is more land-dwelling than waterfowl.

The expression “crocodile tears” denotes ostentatious remorse and repentance. This myth originated from the fact that crocodiles were believed to cry while eating people. In fact, crocodiles do cry when they eat, but this happens for completely biological reasons. The air swallowed by the crocodile during feeding is mixed in a special way with the contents of the lacrimal glands and released in the form of abundant foamy “tears”.

Crocodile skin is considered one of the best for making various leather products (in general, this is cruel, but unfortunately, such a business exists). Only the skin of the abdomen is used industrially as it has softness and elasticity. Other places, especially the skin of the limbs and back, are not suitable for this - it is very strong and hard, and can often withstand a direct hit from a bullet. In many cultures around the world, crocodile skin is considered a sign of wealth and high status in society. A crocodile skin handbag can cost 10-20 thousand dollars or more, because of this, a large number of crocodiles are killed by poachers every year. In a number of countries, hunting crocodiles in the wild is prohibited, and crocodiles are raised on special farms to obtain their skins.

In some cultures, the crocodile was considered a sacred animal, for example in Ancient Egypt. Even today, among some tribes of New Guinea, the crocodile is a totem symbol, and men undergo a painful procedure of mutilating their skin, after which it becomes covered with scars, making it look like a crocodile. The most interesting thing is that some tribes of Australian aborigines are considered masters in hunting crocodiles, while other tribes of the same Australian aborigines consider hunting crocodiles to be sacrilege.

The aggressiveness of crocodiles increases during the breeding season, which is associated with the rainy seasons.

The crocodile's jaw contains 24 sharp teeth, capable of holding and biting prey, but not chewing. Therefore, they often swallow small stones to help them grind the contents of their stomach. These stones also act as ballast, helping the crocodile to submerge. The teeth are constantly renewed throughout the animal's life. The force of compression of the crocodile's jaws is enormous, but the muscles that open the mouth are so weak that the force of one hand is enough to prevent it from opening. The crocodile is able to very precisely control the force of compression of the jaws, and can both bite the femurs of large animals and transfer its offspring from the nest to the water. The crocodile's tail is also not a gift - its blows are very strong.

You can often see crocodiles lying for a long time with their mouths open. This is not an expression of aggression, but simple cooling. In this case, the dog sticks out its tongue, and the crocodile opens its mouth - excess heat and sweat come out with breathing.

A crocodile that has just hatched from an egg is three times longer than the same egg.

In the village of Sabu in the African state of Burkina Faso there is a pond with “tame” sacred crocodiles. Local residents feed them chicken, and they calmly allow them and tourists to pull their tails and sit on their backs.

A crocodile can run at speeds of up to 11 miles per hour.

Average life expectancy is 50 years. Centenarians live to be 100.

China has long loved to feast on crocodile meat. On the banks of the Yangtze, small crocodiles were caught and fattened until the tail reached the required length. Thus, the reptile became a domestic animal, moreover, also performing the functions of a watchdog. The fact is that the crocodile was kept at the entrance to the yard in a box like a doghouse, where it was tightly chained by its hind leg with a rather long chain.

An antibiotic was found in the crocodile's blood. This important scientific discovery was made... by journalists. BBC reporters, while filming a film about the life of crocodiles living in salt water, noticed that crocodiles often fight and inflict terrible wounds on each other, but they never develop inflammation or gangrene. Journalists managed to obtain a sample of the crocodile's blood, and its analysis showed that one of the previously unknown substances present in the reptile's blood effectively kills bacteria by penetrating their membranes. British reporters called this substance "crocodiline". Now this substance is being studied to treat people with various infectious diseases.

Crocodiles don't use much energy, so they can go for many months without eating.

A saltwater crocodile sometimes swims into the sea 600 kilometers from the coast (there is evidence of 1,100 kilometers).

Sometimes crocodiles are able to climb trees.

People have long valued many things about crocodiles: meat, skin and musk secreted by the nasal and anal glands. Crocodile meat is extremely valued in Malaysia as a lean and dietary product.

The estuarine crocodile is the largest of all 26 crocodile species.

The name “crocodile” means “stone worm” (from the other Greek “kroko” - stone, “dilo” - worm).

Less well known is the fact that musk from crocodile glands is actively used in the perfume industry.

Female alligators lay about 40 eggs, from which crocodiles hatch after 60-70 days.

These reptiles can jump out of the water to a height of 2 meters.

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.

In 1899, during excavations in Egypt, mummies of crocodiles were found (in the era of the pharaohs, these animals were revered as sacred).

More people have died in Africa from crocodiles than from lions.

Sometimes, having found someone else's oviposition, or newly hatched small crocodiles, the crocodile devours its own kind with cruel indifference.

The crocodile deals with its victims in an unusual way - it drowns them and leaves them to soak in the water for several days, because the crocodile does not know how to chew.

Crocodiles suffer from cannibalism. They have the ability to eat smaller representatives of their own species.

These reptiles have no lips and their mouths cannot close completely.

Crocodiles have a four-chambered heart, just like birds (their closest relatives) and mammals. When a crocodile dives under water, its heart begins to work like a three-chambered one, giving the animal more time under water.

The sex of baby crocodile is determined by the temperature in the nest and how deep the eggs are hidden.

Young crocodiles are still inside the eggs and make croaking sounds when they hatch.

All modern crocodiles are adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Although 3000 years ago there were land crocodiles in New Caledonia.

How are crocodiles different from alligators? If its outer teeth are visible even with its mouth closed, it is a crocodile. In alligators, they are completely hidden in a special groove on the opposite jaw. Crocodiles have salt glands in their mouths, so they can survive in salt water, unlike alligators. This gives crocodiles much more habitat, including in mangroves and estuaries. Crocodiles are more active and aggressive than alligators, but they do not tolerate cold well. Alligators are like “Nordic guys” and can be found even in subtropical areas, while crocodiles can only be found in hotter ones.

On the surface of the crocodile's jaws there are numerous pressure receptors that allow it to sense vibrations coming from animals located in the water at a great distance.

Crocodiles have a third eyelid, a membrane that covers the eyes when diving underwater - thus protecting the crocodile's eyes from exposure to water without losing the ability to see.

99% of crocodile offspring die, eaten by fish, monitor lizards, herons and adult crocodiles. During the first weeks of life, crocodiles feed on the contents of the egg from which they are born. Crocodile eggs are also a delicacy for monitor lizards, hyenas, storks and even people. The female usually lays 20-80 eggs in nests built from plant materials and protects them for three months. A crocodile in captivity reaches a length of one and a half meters in a year, and its wild counterpart spends almost three years on this, since it does not have such constant source of food.

A crocodile can swim at speeds of up to 40 km/h with the help of its tail, and stay under water for up to two to three hours. On land, the crocodile can also make short throws, but gets tired very quickly. These animals can even jump out of the water, flying several meters.

The crocodile is a semi-aquatic vertebrate wild animal, belongs to the phylum chordata, class reptiles, order crocodiles (Crocodilia).

The predator got its Russian name from the Greek word “crocodilos,” literally meaning “pebble worm.” Most likely, this is what the Greeks called the reptile, whose lumpy skin looks like a pebble, and whose long body and characteristic body movements resemble a worm.

In sea water, the crocodile feeds on fish, dolphins, turtles, sawfish rays and even sharks, including white sharks, the size of which is not inferior to, and often exceeds, the attacking crocodile in length. The menu consisting of mammals is especially varied.

A successful hunt brings the crocodile a python, monitor lizard, wild boar, antelope, buffalo or deer for dinner.

Often hyenas, cheetahs, leopards and lions become prey for crocodile. Crocodiles also eat monkeys, porcupines, kangaroos, hares, raccoons, martens and mongooses. If given the opportunity to have a snack, they will not hesitate to attack any domestic animal, be it chicken, horse or cattle.

Some crocodiles eat each other, that is, they do not hesitate to attack their own kind.

How does a crocodile hunt?

Crocodiles spend most of the day in the water, and hunt only after dark. The reptile swallows small prey whole. In a duel with a large prey, the crocodile's weapon is brute force. Large land animals, such as deer and buffalo, are guarded by a crocodile at a watering hole, attacked suddenly and dragged into the water, where the victim is unable to resist. Large fish, on the contrary, are dragged into shallow water, where it is easier to deal with prey.

The massive jaws of a crocodile easily crush a buffalo’s skull, and strong jerks of the head and a special “deadly rotation” technique instantly tear the prey apart. Crocodiles do not know how to chew, therefore, having killed the victim, they twist out pieces of suitable flesh with their powerful jaws and swallow them whole.

Crocodiles eat quite a lot: one lunch can account for up to 23% of the mass of the predator itself. Often crocodiles hide part of the prey, but the supply does not always remain intact, and is often consumed by other predators.

• The crocodile belongs to the crocodile family, the alligator belongs to the alligator family. Moreover, both reptiles belong to the order crocodiles.
• The main difference between a crocodile and an alligator is the structure of the jaw and the arrangement of the teeth. When the crocodile's mouth is closed, one or a pair of teeth on the lower jaw always stick out, while the alligator's upper jaw is completely covered by a predatory grin.

• Also, the difference between a crocodile and an alligator lies in the structure of the muzzle. The crocodile's muzzle is pointed and has the shape of the English letter V, while the alligator's muzzle is blunt and more reminiscent of the letter U.

• Crocodiles have salt glands in the tongue and lacrimal glands in the eyes to remove excess salts from the body, so they can live in the sea. Alligators do not have such glands, so they mainly live in fresh water bodies.
• If you compare the size of a crocodile and an alligator, it is difficult to say which reptile is larger. The average length of an alligator does not exceed the average length of a crocodile. But if we compare the largest individuals, the American (Mississippi) alligator has a maximum body length of no more than 4.5 meters (according to unofficial data, the only maximum recorded length of one individual was 5.8 meters). And the world's largest saltwater crocodile, with an average body length of 5.2 meters, can grow up to 7 meters in length.
• The average weight of a Mississippi alligator (it is larger than a Chinese one) is 200 kg, with the maximum recorded weight reaching 626 kg. The average weight of a crocodile depends on the species. Yet some species of crocodiles weigh much more than alligators. For example, the weight of a sharp-snouted crocodile reaches 1 ton, and the world's largest saltwater crocodile weighs about 2 tons.

What is the difference between a crocodile and a gharial?

• Both the crocodile and the gharial belong to the order Crocodiles. But the crocodile is part of the crocodile family, and the gharial belongs to the gharial family.
• The crocodile has salt glands located on the tongue and special lacrimal glands in the eye area: through them, excess salts are removed from the crocodile's body. This factor allows the crocodile to live in salty sea water. The gharial does not possess such glands, therefore it is a resident of absolutely fresh water bodies.
• It is easy to distinguish a crocodile from a gharial by the shape of its jaws: the gharial has rather narrow jaws, which is justified by hunting only fish. The crocodile has wider jaws.

• The gharial has more teeth than the crocodile, but they are much smaller and thinner: the gharial needs such sharp and thin teeth to tenaciously hold caught fish in its mouth. Depending on the species, a crocodile has 66 or 68 teeth, but the gharial can boast of having hundreds of sharp teeth.

• Another difference between a crocodile and a gharial: of the entire family of crocodiles, only the gharial spends the maximum time in the water, leaving the reservoir only to lay eggs and to bask a little in the sun. The crocodile spends about a third of its life in bodies of water, preferring water over land.
• Crocodiles and gharials differ very slightly in size. Male gharials usually have a body length of 3-4.5 meters, rarely reaching 5.5 meters in length. Crocodiles are not far behind their counterparts - the length of an adult male varies between 2-5.5 meters. And yet, seasoned males of some species of crocodiles often reach 7 meters in length. In terms of weight, crocodiles win this round: the saltwater crocodile can reach a mass of 2000 kg, and the Gangetic gharial has a modest weight of 180-200 kg.

What is the difference between a crocodile and a caiman?

• Although crocodiles and caimans belong to the order Crocodilia, caimans belong to the alligator family and crocodiles belong to the crocodilian family.
• The external differences between a crocodile and a caiman are as follows: crocodiles are distinguished by a pointed V-shaped snout, caimans are distinguished by a blunt and wide U-shaped muzzle.
• Another difference between reptiles is that crocodiles have special salt glands on their tongues. Through them, as well as through the lacrimal glands, crocodiles get rid of excess salts, so they feel equally good in both fresh and salt water. Caimans do not have this feature, therefore, with rare exceptions, they live only in clean fresh water bodies.

Types of crocodiles: names, descriptions, list and photos

Modern classification divides the order of crocodiles into 3 families, 8 genera and 24 species.

Family of real crocodiles(Crocodylidae). Some of its varieties are of particular interest:

• Saltwater crocodile (saltwater crocodile)(Crocodylus porosus)

The largest crocodile in the world, a mega-predator firmly established at the top of the food chain. Other names for this reptile are submarine crocodile, man-eating crocodile, salty, estuarine and Indo-Pacific crocodile. The length of a saltwater crocodile can reach 7 meters and weigh up to 2 tons. The species got its name thanks to 2 massive bony ridges running along the snout from the edge of the eyes. The appearance of the crocodile is dominated by pale yellow-brown colors, and dark stripes and spots are visible on the body and tail. The salt water lover is a typical inhabitant of rivers flowing into the ocean, and also lives in sea lagoons. Saltwater crocodiles often live in the open sea and are found on the northern Australian coast, in Indonesia, the Philippines, India and off the coast of Japan. Crocodiles' food is any prey that a predator can catch. These can be large land animals: buffalos, leopards, grizzlies, antelopes, pythons, monitor lizards. The crocodile also often preys on medium-sized mammals: wild boars, tapirs, dingoes, kangaroos, and many species of monkeys, including orangutans. Domestic animals can also become prey: goats, sheep, horses, pigs, dogs and cats. Of the birds, the combed crocodile catches mainly waterfowl species, as well as sea and freshwater turtles, dolphins, stingrays and many types of sharks. Baby crocodile feed on aquatic invertebrates, frogs, insects and small fish. Older individuals freely eat poisonous cane toads, large fish and crustaceans. Saltwater crocodiles practice cannibalism on occasion, never missing the opportunity to eat small or weak representatives of their species.

• Blunt crocodile(Osteolaemus tetraspis)

this is the smallest crocodile in the world. The body length of an adult is only 1.5 meters. The male weighs about 80 kg, the female crocodiles weighs about 30-35 kg. The color of the reptile's back is black, its belly is yellow, with black spots. Unlike other types of crocodiles, the reptile has skin well armored with hard plates-growths, which compensates for the lack of growth. Blunt-snouted crocodiles live in fresh water bodies of West Africa, shy and secretive, and lead a nocturnal lifestyle. They feed on fish, snails and carrion.

• Nile crocodile(Crocodylus niloticus)

the largest reptile of the family after the saltwater crocodile, lives in Africa. The average body length of males is from 4.5 to 5.5 meters, and the weight of a male crocodile reaches almost 1 ton. The color of the crocodile is gray or light brown, with dark stripes on the back and tail. The reptile is one of 3 species that live in African countries and have no equal in the water element. Even on land, conflicts over prey, such as with lions, involve a tug-of-war, with the crocodile still emerging victorious. The Nile crocodile is a typical inhabitant of rivers, lakes and swamps located south of the Sahara Desert, including the Nile River basin. The Nile crocodile feeds on fish: Nile perch, tilapia, black mullet, African pike and numerous representatives of cyprinids. And also mammals: antelopes, waterbucks, gazelles, oryx, warthogs, chimpanzees and gorillas. Often all types of domesticated animals become prey for the crocodile. Particularly large individuals attack buffalos, giraffes, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses and young African elephants. Young Nile crocodiles eat amphibians: the African toad, the changeable reed frog and the goliath frog. The young feed on insects (crickets, grasshoppers), crabs and other invertebrates.

• Siamese crocodile(Crocodylus siamensis)

has a body up to 3-4 m long. The color of the crocodile is olive green, sometimes dark green. The weight of a male reaches 350 kg, the weight of females is 150 kg. This species of crocodiles is listed in the Red Book as endangered. Today the population numbers no more than 5 thousand individuals. The species' range extends through the countries of southeast Asia: Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and is also found on the island of Kalimantan. The main source of food for Siamese crocodiles are various types of fish, amphibians, and small reptiles. In rare cases, the crocodile feeds on rodents and carrion.

• Sharp-snouted crocodile(Crocodylus acutus)

the most common member of the family. The species is distinguished by a narrow, characteristically pointed snout. Adult males grow up to 4 m in length, females up to 3 m. The weight of a crocodile is 500-1000 kg. The color of the crocodile is grayish or greenish-brown. Crocodiles live in swampy areas, rivers, and fresh and salt lakes in North and South America. Sharp-snouted crocodiles eat most types of freshwater and saltwater fish. A significant part of the diet consists of birds: pelicans, flamingos, herons, storks. At regular intervals, crocodiles eat sea turtles and livestock. Young reptiles feed on crabs, snails, as well as insects and their larvae.

• Australian narrow-snoutedcrocodile ( Crocodylus johnstoni)

is a freshwater reptile and is small in size: males grow no more than 3 meters in length, females up to 2 meters. The animal has an uncharacteristically narrow muzzle for a crocodile. The color of the reptile is brown with black stripes on the crocodile's back and tail. A population of about 100 thousand individuals inhabits freshwater bodies of northern Australia. The Australian narrow-snouted crocodile feeds primarily on fish. A small portion of the adult diet consists of amphibians, waterfowl, snakes, lizards and small mammals.

Alligator family(Alligatoridae), in which the subfamily alligators and the subfamily caimans are distinguished. This family includes the following varieties:

• Mississippi alligator (American alligator) (Alligator mississippiensis)

a large reptile (reptile), the males of which grow up to 4.5 m in length with a body weight of about 200 kg. Unlike the crocodile, the American alligator can withstand the cold and can hibernate by freezing its body into the ice and leaving only its nostrils on the surface. These alligators live in fresh water bodies of North America: dams, swamps, rivers and lakes. The Mississippi (American) alligator, unlike crocodiles, rarely attacks large animals. Adult alligators feed on fish, waterfowl, water snakes and turtles; among mammals they eat nutria, muskrats and raccoons. Baby alligators eat worms, spiders, snails, and insects and their larvae. Some alligators do not have enough melanin pigment and are albino. True, a white crocodile is rarely found in nature.

White crocodile (albino)

• Chinese alligator ( Alligator sinensis)

a small species of alligator, which is also a rare species. Only 200 individuals live in nature. The color of the alligator is yellow-gray, there are black spots on the lower jaw. The average length of an alligator is 1.5 meters, the maximum reaches 2.2 meters. The weight of the predator is 35-45 kg. Alligators live in China, in the Yangtze River basin. They feed on small birds and mammals, fish, snakes, and mollusks.

• Crocodile (spectacled) caiman(Caiman crocodilus)

a relatively small alligator with a body length of up to 1.8-2 m and a weight of up to 60 kg. This species of crocodile is distinguished by a narrow snout and a characteristic bony growth between the eyes, shaped like glasses. The small caiman has a yellow body color with black spots; the adult crocodile has olive green skin. The reptile has the widest range of all alligators. The caiman lives in low-lying, stagnant bodies of fresh or salt water from Mexico and Guatemala to the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Due to its small size, the caiman feeds on mollusks, small fish, freshwater crabs, as well as small reptiles and mammals. Seasoned individuals occasionally attack large amphibians and snakes, such as anaconda, as well as wild boars and even other caimans.

• Black caiman(Melanosuchus niger)

one of the largest reptiles. The body length of a mature male can exceed 5.5 m, and the body weight can be more than 500 kg. A pronounced bony ridge, typical of all caimans, runs from the eyes along the entire length of the muzzle. The modern population, consisting of approximately 100 thousand individuals, lives in large rivers and lakes in South America. Adult black caimans eat large quantities of fish, including piranhas, as well as turtles and snakes. But the main part of the food is mammals: deer, capybaras, peccaries, coatis, sloths, monkeys, armadillos, river dolphins, Brazilian otters. In certain areas of the range, the usual food of reptiles is various domestic animals, including cattle. Young caimans feed on snails, frogs and small fish species.

Gharial family(Gavialidae) consists of several genera and only 2 modern species:

• Gangetic gharial(Gavialis gangeticus)

a large representative of the order with a body growing up to 6 meters in length. Gharials, unlike real crocodiles, have a lighter constitution, so the weight of an adult individual generally does not exceed 200 kg. Gharials are distinguished by a characteristically narrow jaw shape, conveniently adapted for catching fish, as well as a maximum number of teeth - up to 100 pieces. Gharials live in the pools and knees of rivers in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The species is listed in the Red Book as especially rare and has been completely exterminated in Bhutan and Myanmar. Due to its predominantly aquatic lifestyle, the Gangetic gharial feeds mainly on fish. Particularly large individuals occasionally attack small mammals and happily eat carrion. Baby reptiles are content with invertebrate animals.

• Gharial crocodile(Tomistoma schlegelii)

the closest relative of the gharial, with the same long, narrow snout and gigantic size. The body length of a crocodile can exceed 6 meters, but on average reaches no more than 5 meters. The color of the crocodile is chocolate brown with stripes on the body. The weight of a crocodile varies from 93 kg for females to 210 kg for males. This species of reptile has endangered status. A small population of crocodiles, consisting of 2.5 thousand individuals, lives in shallow, swampy rivers and lakes in Indonesia and Malaysia. The gharial crocodile, unlike its closest relative, the Gangetic gharial, only partly consumes fish, shrimp and small vertebrates. Despite the narrow snout, the main diet of the predator consists of pythons and other snakes, monitor lizards, turtles, monkeys, wild pigs, deer and otters.

Reproduction of crocodiles. How do crocodiles reproduce?

Crocodiles reach the ability to fertilize at 8-10 years of age with a body length of 2.5 meters in males and 1.7 meters in females. The breeding season of southern crocodiles occurs in the winter months, while northern crocodiles lay eggs in the fall.

At the beginning of the mating season, males announce the surroundings with an inviting roar, attracting females, and splash their muzzles in the water. During mating games, the couple rubs their muzzles and “sings” peculiar “songs” to each other.

The female crocodile builds a nest on sandbanks in close proximity to the shore or in dry river beds. In a hole up to half a meter deep, the female crocodile lays from 20 to 85 eggs, buries them with sand and protects them throughout the incubation period, which lasts about 3 months.

Despite the care of both parents, only 10% of the eggs are retained in the clutch.

At moments when the mother leaves to cool off in the water or to briefly hide from the scorching sun, the crocodile’s nest can be destroyed by other predators or humans.

Small crocodiles hatch and make sounds similar to chirping. Then the mother tears up the sand and carries the cubs closer to the pond in her own mouth. Sometimes parents squeeze the eggs between the tongue and the roof of their mouth to help their babies come into the world.

The sex of newborn crocodiles is determined by the temperature in the nest during incubation. If the sand is heated between 32 and 34.5 degrees, males are born. Temperatures above or below this mark determine the birth of females.

Baby crocodile babies are 30 cm long and develop quickly at first. They are surrounded by maternal care for 2 years, after which the offspring, matured and stretched to 1-1.2 m, move on to independent existence.

Crocodiles live long and reproduce well in captivity, but are absolutely not amenable to training. Today, some extreme and exotic lovers are trying to keep crocodiles at home, building them enclosures and swimming pools. Unfortunately, such attempts often end either in the death of the predator as a result of improper care, or in rather tragic situations in terms of the safety of the owners. If we talk about keeping crocodiles in an unnatural environment for them, then the most suitable option would be a good zoo, where specialists care for the reptiles.

• Although most reptiles consider a person invading their territory as potential prey, most often the most aggressive crocodiles - the Nile and saltwater crocodiles - attack people.
• Dangerous predators, crocodiles have historically been considered a cult object of worship in many cultures. For some ancient peoples, the crocodile was a sacred animal; the ancient Egyptians built temples in honor of the crocodile god, and embalmed reptiles are often found in the tombs of the pharaohs.
• According to the records of Herodotus, back in the 5th century BC. Noble Egyptians kept crocodiles as pets. These days, American authorities often catch unfortunate reptiles thrown out by careless owners from sewers.
• The bite of a saltwater crocodile is the strongest among the representatives of the animal world and can only be compared with the clenching of the jaws of a sperm whale or killer whale.
• The main reason for the decline in the crocodile population is considered to be the extermination of animals for the sake of leather used in the haberdashery industry. After all, only the soft skin of a crocodile from its belly is suitable for making handbags, gloves and straps.
• In the event of an unexpected hunger strike, a crocodile can go without food for more than a year thanks to its impressive fat reserves and slow metabolism.

Crocodiles are semi-aquatic predators, belong to the order of aquatic vertebrates and are considered the largest individuals of the group of reptiles. There are more than twenty species in the order of crocodiles, among which are the caiman and the alligator. These cold-blooded animals live in tropical and subtropical latitudes, regardless of the continent: they can be seen in America, Africa (the largest is the Nile crocodile), Asia and Oceania (the largest crocodile in the world, the saltwater crocodile, lives here).

Crocodiles appeared more than 250 million years ago and are direct descendants of dinosaurs (a subclass of archosaurs).

True, their ancestors were larger: their length reached thirteen meters. Another interesting fact about crocodiles is that over the past millennia this species has changed little in appearance, and therefore, being closer to dinosaurs than to modern reptiles, its representatives are unique animals that give some idea of ​​what the ancient inhabitants of our planet looked like .

Crocodiles share a common land ancestor with birds. Even in some features of their internal structure they are much closer to birds than to reptiles.

Description

Having adapted to water, crocodiles acquired the corresponding appearance: their head is flat, with a very long muzzle, their body is flattened, and their legs are very short. The toes are connected to each other by swimming membranes (there are five on the front paws, four on the hind paws: the little finger is missing).

The reptile's eyes are located on the head in such a way that only the eyes and nostrils are visible above the surface (this allows them to remain unnoticed by prey). When the animal goes under water, its nostrils and ears close with valves, and the eye has a third transparent eyelid, thanks to which the reptile sees perfectly under water and does not experience any difficulties. Since the mouth of crocodiles, due to the absence of lips, does not close completely to prevent water from entering the stomach, the entrance to the esophagus, when the animal is in water, is blocked by the velum palatine.

The elongated shape of the body allows the reptile to excellently maneuver in the aquatic environment, and the animal uses a flat and strong tail instead of a motor organ. The length of the reptile, depending on the species, ranges from one and a half to six and a half meters. The largest crocodile of the reptiles captured and measured is a saltwater crocodile: it is 6.4 meters long, weighs more than a ton and lives in the Philippine Islands.

But the smallest crocodile lives in the west of equatorial Africa: the length of a land crocodile ranges from one and a half to two meters.

The greenish-brown color of the reptile helps it to camouflage perfectly in the water. Depending on the temperature of the environment, the skin of a reptile can change color (the hotter it is, the greener it is). The skin of a crocodile is covered with durable horny rectangular plates that hold tightly throughout the life of the reptile: unlike many reptiles, crocodiles do not shed, and their skin grows along with the body (they grow throughout their lives).

Reptile temperature

Like all reptiles, crocodiles are cold-blooded animals, and their body temperature ranges from 30 to 35 degrees. Although the body temperature of these reptiles depends on water and air, it still differs from their indicators. Unlike many freshwater animals, the crocodile has a four-chambered heart (however, when leaving the ventricles, oxygen-rich arterial blood partially mixes with venous blood, where there is little oxygen).

The horny plates on the skin of a crocodile heat up during the day and collect heat, which allows maintaining metabolism at a fairly high level. Therefore, the temperature of a predator, regardless of the time of day, is almost always the same (in summer its fluctuations are about 1°C, in winter – 1.5°C, in small animals – about 5°C).

They should also not be confused with warm-blooded representatives of the animal world, since their own metabolism maintains a constant body temperature, while crocodiles maintain it due to their large size, large mass and specific behavior (basking in the sun, cooling in water). Therefore, larger specimens exhibit less fluctuations in body temperature than smaller specimens.

Difference from an alligator

What distinguishes crocodiles from their closest relatives, alligators, is primarily the structure of their teeth: when the mouth is closed, the fourth tooth is visible on the lower jaw, while in alligators no teeth are visible at all. The structure of the muzzle is also different: in alligators it is blunter, in crocodiles it is sharper.

Crocodiles have the best salt metabolism: they remove excess salts through the glands located on the tongue, as well as through the lacrimal glands (the famous “crocodile tears”). Thanks to this, they are able to live not only in river water, but also in sea water, while alligators can only live in fresh water. Among crocodiles there are species that live both here and there, for example, despite the fact that the Nile crocodile prefers to live in rivers and lakes, it is also often found near the sea coast, in river mouths.

Way of life

Crocodiles prefer to live mainly in fresh water bodies, and some species: Nile crocodile, combed crocodile, African narrow-snouted crocodile are found near the sea coast. These animals spend all their time in the water, coming to land in the morning or evening to bask in the sun and accumulate heat in their horny plates. For example, the Nile crocodile prefers air temperatures from 32 to 35 °C; if the readings are higher, it does not even show up on land. During drought, some species of crocodiles dig holes at the bottom of drying reservoirs and hibernate.

On land, these animals are inactive and clumsy, so they prefer to move exclusively in water. If necessary, they are able to move to another body of water through land, covering several kilometers.

It is interesting that they usually move with their legs spread wide apart, then developing speed (no more than 11 km/h for short distances), the reptiles place their paws under their body. But in water, reptiles swim much faster, at a speed of about 40 km/h. Despite their impressive size, they are quite capable of jumping two meters out of the water.

Crocodiles live in packs, and this life is unique: they are quite capable of eating their relatives, and the males often destroy the babies. In each group there is a dominant male, who jealously guards his territory from individuals as large as himself, emitting a loud roar. These reptiles are able to express their emotions in various ways: they hiss, grunt, growl and even croak hoarsely.

Hunting and food

Despite the fact that crocodiles prefer to hunt at night, during the day, if the prey is not far from them, they do not leave it without attention. They receive information about a potential victim thanks to receptors located on their jaws, which are able to sense prey located even at a great distance.

They feed mainly on fish, but if they come across other prey that they can handle, they hunt that too. How dangerous they are to humans depends on the species. For example, the Nile crocodile is a cannibal, but the gharial (also large) is absolutely not dangerous.

The food preferences of a crocodile largely depend on its age and size: young individuals prefer invertebrate animals, adults prefer amphibians, small mammals, reptiles, and birds.

But large individuals (the same Nile crocodile) are able to cope even with victims that are significantly larger than them in size: the Nile crocodile catches wildebeest when they cross rivers during migration, the combed predator opens a hunt for cattle during the rainy season, the Madagascan one succeeds catch a lemur, and in search of water he crawls into caves (during drought it can only be found here). If necessary, these animals are capable of eating their own relatives.

These reptiles cannot chew, and therefore, having caught the victim, they dismember it with their teeth and swallow it in parts. If the food is too large for this, they can leave it at the bottom for a while and wait until it gets soggy. The animal is helped to cope with food by swallowing stones, which grind the food. These stones are often quite large in size: it is known for sure that the Nile crocodile is capable of swallowing a five-kilogram block.

Crocodiles eat carrion very rarely, and they cannot tolerate rotten food at all. Reptiles eat a lot: at a time they are able to swallow food weighing about 25% of their body weight. Since 60% of food is stored in fat, if necessary, they are able to fast for one to one and a half years.

Reproduction

Considering that crocodiles live from 50 to 110 years, they reach sexual maturity quite early: at the age of 8 to 10 years. Crocodiles are polygamous animals: a male may well have a harem of twelve females.

The female does not give birth, but lays eggs (about fifty eggs per night). To do this, she goes to the coast and digs a hole, the size of which largely depends on the illumination: deeper in the sun, shallower in the shade, and then covers it with sand or leaves. It takes about three months for the eggs to hatch. The female spends all this time near them, without going anywhere and not even feeding.

Who exactly will hatch depends largely on the air temperature: if they exceed 32°C, a male will appear, from 28 to 30°C - a female. Before breaking the shell, one or the other small crocodile begins to make grunting sounds. This is a signal for the female, and she first digs them out, then rolls them in her mouth and releases the babies.

The crocodiles that are born are small: their length is only 28 centimeters. At a time, the mother collects about two dozen babies in her mouth and transfers them to a pre-selected small reservoir, where they spend about eight weeks, after which they scatter around the surrounding area in search of reservoirs unoccupied by other crocodiles. Because of this, the mortality rate among crocodiles is very high: many are eaten by birds, monitor lizards and other predators. Those that survive, as they grow older, first feed on insects, then begin to catch frogs and fish from reservoirs, and from the age of ten they begin hunting large vertebrates.

Reptiles and people

Speaking about crocodiles, it is better for a person to take into account that it is better for him to avoid encounters with these animals: almost all of them are dangerous for humans. True, there are species that never attack people (gharial), while others do this at every opportunity (combed one).

Hunting crocodiles in their habitats is also popular: their meat is eaten, and their skin is used to create textiles and haberdashery. As soon as products made from crocodile skin became popular in fashion, the number of animals began to decline very quickly: the hunt for crocodiles did its job.

According to data, in the 20s of the last century, about a million reptiles were killed annually in South America alone, so if governments had not come to their senses in time and in the forties had not passed laws according to which hunting crocodiles was prohibited, they would have been destroyed long ago. Also, the largest crocodile in Africa, the Nile crocodile, disappeared from its usual habitats, and captive breeding saved the Indian gharial from complete extinction (today there are about 1.5 thousand individuals).

Another factor that puts these reptiles on the brink of extinction in South America and Asia is the construction of dams. To build them, huge areas of forests were cut down, as a result of which many reservoirs where crocodiles lived dried up.

This situation is alarming not only because a unique species is dying out, but also because with the disappearance of these animals the ecosystem of the region is disrupted. For example, in Florida, crocodiles hunt pike, which, without a natural enemy, would destroy all valuable fish, primarily bream and perch. These reptiles enable many animals to survive drought: water accumulates in the holes they dig, forming small reservoirs where, during drought, fish find refuge, and animals and birds come to drink.