Crocodiles can reach speeds of 10–11 km/h (6–7 mph) when they "belly run", and often faster if slipping down muddy riverbanks. Lives primarily in the, A smaller species with a narrow and elongated snout. [44] This makes it possible for crocodiles to detect prey, danger and intruders, even in total darkness. It is possible that crocodiles use olfaction in the egg prior to hatching. The use of -y- in the scientific name Crocodylus (and forms derived from it) is a corruption introduced by Laurenti (1768). [39], Chemoreception in crocodiles is especially interesting because they hunt in both terrestrial and aquatic surroundings. They are carnivorous animals, feeding mostly on vertebrates such as fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, and sometimes on invertebrates such as molluscs and crustaceans, depending on species and age. Feeds largely on fish. [65], Measuring crocodile age is unreliable, although several techniques are used to derive a reasonable guess. Unlike other reptiles, a crocodile has a cerebral cortex and a four-chambered heart. Named Henry, the crocodile is said to have lived in Botswana along the Okavango River, according to centre director Martin Rodrigues.[70][71]. When a crocodile walks quickly, it holds its legs in a straighter and more upright position under its body, which is called the "high walk". It is an, A smaller species of crocodile with a grey-brown colour and dark brown to black markings on the tail. Crocodiles have acute senses, an evolutionary advantage that makes them successful predators. Under these plates lie bony structures called osteoderms of about the same size. [39], Crocodilian sense of smell is also very well developed, aiding them to detect prey or animal carcasses that are either on land or in water, from far away. Crocodile leather can be made into goods such as wallets, briefcases, purses, handbags, belts, hats, and shoes. [79] The mother would then take care of her young for over a year before the next mating season. Another obvious trait is that the upper and lower jaws of the crocodiles are the same width, and the teeth in the lower jaw fall along the edge or outside the upper jaw when the mouth is closed; therefore, all teeth are visible, unlike an alligator, which possesses in the upper jaw small depressions into which the lower teeth fit. It has been proposed that the flattening of the sensory organ in hyperosmotic sea water is sensed by the animal as "touch", but interpreted as chemical information about its surroundings. In contrast to the back and belly, the sides of the body have mostly small knobby scales. The delicate eyeball surface is thus protected under the water, while a certain degree of vision is still possible. A possible new type of vertebrate sensory organ", "Crocodilian Biology Database - Integumentary Sense Organs", "Saltwater Crocodile, Saltwater Crocodile Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News – National Geographic", "Crocodilian Species - Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)", "Crikey! In addition to the protection of the upper and lower eyelids, crocodiles have a nictitating membrane (sometimes called a "third eye-lid") that can be drawn over the eye from the inner corner while the lids are open. Some species can gallop, including Cuban crocodiles, Johnston's crocodiles, New Guinea crocodiles, African dwarf crocodiles, and even small Nile crocodiles. She would then introduce her hatchlings to the water and even feed them. The most obvious external differences are visible in the head, with crocodiles having narrower and longer heads, with a more V-shaped than a U-shaped snout compared to alligators and caimans. Each jaw carries a row of conical teeth, which may number more than 100 in species with very long muzzles. [27], The longest crocodile captured alive was Lolong, a saltwater crocodile which was measured at 6.17 m (20.2 ft) and weighed at 1,075 kg (2,370 lb) by a National Geographic team in Agusan del Sur Province, Philippines. They informally called these clades "osteolaemins" and "mecistopins". Guinness Book of World Records. Crocodiles have only one olfactory chamber and the vomeronasal organ is absent in the adults[40] indicating all olfactory perception is limited to the olfactory system. [68] A male freshwater crocodile lived to an estimated age of 120–140 years at the Australia Zoo. The body is elongated, and its long, muscular tail is well suited to rapid swimming. It is a big-headed species and has a relatively broad snout, especially when older. In northern Australia, three rogue saltwater crocodiles were relocated 400 km (249 mi) by helicopter, but returned to their original locations within three weeks, based on data obtained from tracking devices attached to them. Clever crocodiles, alligators use sticks to lure prey", "Crocodiles and their ilk may be smarter than they look", "Crocodiles are cleverer than previously thought: Some crocodiles use lures to hunt their prey", "Anahuac Journal; Alligator Farmer Feeds Demand for All the Parts", "Reptiles and amphibians - Species we work with at TRAFFIC", "Nigeria: How Giant Crocodiles Guided Jukun to Kwararafa", "Ganga The River Goddess - Tales in Art and Mythology". Crocodiles are also the most vocal of all reptiles, producing a wide variety of sounds during various situations and conditions, depending on species, age, size and sex. There is a certain form of hierarchy in crocodiles: the largest and heaviest males are at the top, having access to the best basking site, while females are priority during a group feeding of a big kill or carcass. They are still able to absorb heat through this armour, as a network of small capillaries allows blood through the scales to absorb heat. They can easily digest bones, hooves and horns. The teeth are not well-suited to tearing flesh off of large prey items as are the dentition and claws of many mammalian carnivores, the hooked bills and talons of raptorial birds, or the serrated teeth of sharks. The oldest crocodiles appear to be the largest species. [33], Crocodilians are more closely related to birds and dinosaurs than to most animals classified as reptiles, the three families being included in the group Archosauria ('ruling reptiles'). Crocodiles have webbed feet which, though not used to propel them through the water, allow them to make fast turns and sudden moves in the water or initiate swimming. The force of a large crocodile's bite is more than 5,000 lbf (22,000 N), which was measured in a 5.5 m (18 ft) Nile crocodile, in the field;[54] comparing to 335 lbf (1,490 N) for a Rottweiler, 800 lbf (3,600 N) for a hyena, 2,200 lbf (9,800 N) for an American alligator,[55][failed verification] and 4,095 lbf (18,220 N) for the largest confirmed great white shark. The order Crocodylia (or Crocodilia) includes four groups of closely related forms: crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gavials. It allows blood to bypass the lungs when the animal is submerged, and this structure has the effect of stabilizing blood oxygen levels. A long bone-enclosed nasal passage leads from the exterior nostril openings to the interior nostril openings, or choanae, located at the extreme posterior end of the palate; a membranous flap in front of the choanae constitutes the posterior closure of the mouth cavity. It has dark-grey to brown coloration. Crocodile embryos do not have sex chromosomes, and unlike humans, sex is not determined genetically. Lives in, A medium sized species found in watery areas in dense rainforest. The jaws can bite down with immense force, by far the strongest bite of any animal. Ancient Egypt had Sobek, the crocodile-headed god, with his cult-city Crocodilopolis, as well as Taweret, the goddess of childbirth and fertility, with the back and tail of a crocodile. The teeth are held in sockets and replaced continuously; new teeth grow from below and force the older ones out. Britton, Adam (n.d.). The cloaca—a chamber containing the genital, anal, and urogenital openings—extends longitudinally within the body; it is surrounded by an oval area of small scales on the underside of the body. Another trait is that most of the muscle in a crocodile's jaw is arranged for clamping down. [46], Crocodiles are ambush predators, waiting for fish or land animals to come close, then rushing out to attack. Types of reptilian hearts: lizard, snake, crocodile, and turtle. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The cladogram below follows the topology from a 2012 analysis of morphological traits by Christopher A. Brochu and Glenn W. Enlarged scutes around the neck make it a heavily armoured species. [1] Crocodiles have more webbing on the toes of the hind feet and can better tolerate saltwater due to specialized salt glands for filtering out salt, which are present, but non-functioning, in alligators. Females can build or dig several trial nests which appear incomplete and abandoned later. It has a dark bronze coloration and darkens as the animal matures. [98][100], Crocodiles appear in different forms in Hinduism. Despite the strong muscles to close the jaw, crocodiles have extremely small and weak muscles to open the jaw. A 2013 analysis by Jack L. Conrad, Kirsten Jenkins, Thomas Lehmann, and others did not support Osteolaeminae as a true clade but rather a paraphyletic group consisting of two smaller clades. Another trait that separates crocodiles from other crocodilians is their much higher levels of aggression.[2].

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