Crocodile (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain everything about crocodiles, where they live, what they eat and other characteristics. Also, the largest crocodiles in the world.

What are crocodiles?

Normally, we call crocodiles a set of large, semi-aquatic reptiles which constitute a zoological order called Crocodilywhich accommodates three families:

The crocodiles themselves (Crocodylidae).
The Ghariales s (Gavialidae).
Alligators and caimans (Alligatoridae).

Although it is not zoologically accurate, it is normal to refer to any of these reptile families as “crocodiles.”

Crocodiles are ferocious animals, robust-bodied predators with thick skin and large toothed mouths who lead solitary and territorial lives. They emerged on the planet during the Late Cretaceous period, 83.5 million years ago, and have changed very little over the centuries, being today the closest evolutionary relatives of today's birds.

Known to humanity since ancient times, crocodiles have occupied a place of respect and fear in different imaginations, often playing the role of ancient and voracious creatures, although in Ancient Egypt they were animals sacred to Sobek, god of fertility, vegetation and life, patron of the Nile River where these animals were abundant.

Starting in the 9th century, the myth that crocodiles cry for their victims became popular, which gave rise to expressions that refer to “crocodile tears” as a synonym for feigned pain or false sentimentality.

Many species of crocodiles are known, but only eight of them have been involved in attacks on humans. Instead, the main threat to the existence of many species of these animals is the human way of life, due to indiscriminate hunting and the destruction of their habitats.

Characteristics of crocodiles

crocodile characteristics — Crocodiles are excellent swimmers.

In general, crocodiles are characterized by the following:

are large animals, shaped like a trunk with a solid body that begins with an elongated nose that hides a lot of conical teeth, and ends in a long tail ideal for propelling swimming. The whole is covered by a rough, hard skin made up of scales.
Their total size varies depending on the species, but they can be around 2 and 3 meters long with smaller species that do not exceed one meter, and particularly large species capable of reaching 7 meters in length. Its weight, similarly, can reach 2000 kg in the most voluminous species.
are excellent swimmers, and can also walk on dry land crawling on their belly or walking on their legs, and some species can even gallop at good speed.
Their eyes and nose are on the top of their head allowing the rest of the body to be completely submerged under water. In this way crocodiles can sneak up on their prey to attack. They have a very powerful bite.
spend most of their days motionless in the sun saving the energy of their particularly slow metabolisms, of an ectothermic nature, that is, cold-blooded.
Their snouts can vary in shape and thickness depending on the family and species, and have particularly strong muscles to keep the jaw closed so that an ordinary person would be able to close the mouth of a crocodile, but would be in serious trouble when it came to forcing it open. The bite of a Mississippi alligator was measured in 2003 at 9450 N, and gharials have a much thinner and weaker snout than crocodiles and alligators.

Where do crocodiles live?

Crocodiles mostly live in the contours of lakes, lagoons, rivers and even in salt water, depending on the species since without being amphibians, they are animals perfectly adapted for swimming. They tend to prefer the lowlands of the intertropical climate zone in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

What do crocodiles eat?

crocodile feeding — Crocodiles' teeth can hold prey, but not chew.

The crocodiles are omnivores, but show a marked preference for a carnivorous diet since they are formidable predators.

Whether they hunt alone or come together to deal cooperatively with a large prey, they usually devour the victim whole or tear off large pieces that they devour without chewing, and that is why once their hunger is satisfied they must lie down on the ground to undertake a slow and laborious digestion process. Some species can even store corpses underwater for later consumption.

How do crocodiles reproduce?

crocodile reproduction — Female crocodiles usually care for their young until they mature.

The crocodiles they reproduce sexually, oviparously. Dominant males usually monopolize the available females for themselves, which once fertilized lay their eggs in specially built nests on the banks of the river, in holes in the ground or mounds of vegetation, sand or earth. The eggs, between ten and fifty per clutch, incubate for two or three months and in the end they hatch, releasing one baby per egg.

Unlike other species of reptiles, female crocodiles usually care for their young until they mature, and some species even raise them together, in a kind of nursery under the care of some of the mothers.

How long do crocodiles live?

In their natural habitat, crocodiles face high infant mortality victim of other predators, but as they mature they quickly occupy the top of the food chain. Depending on size and species, they have few rivals for care, so can live between 35 and 75 years.

The largest crocodiles in the world

largest marine crocodile — The marine crocodile can weigh between 480 and 1500 kg.

The largest species of crocodiles known are:

The marine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). It is the largest living reptile on the planet and the largest crocodile that exists, a typical inhabitant of Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Accustomed to sea water, they measure on average between 4.3 and 7 meters long, and can weigh between 480 and 1500 kg.
The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). The largest of the four species of crocodiles in Africa, and one of the largest in the world, it has an average size of between 5 and 6 meters in length, and between 225 and 730 kg in weight. Bright olive green in color, it inhabits the Nile regions, as its name indicates, but also the entirety of sub-Saharan Africa and the island of Madagascar, in exclusively freshwater reservoirs.
The Orinoco caiman (Crocodylus intermedius). A species of crocodile endemic to the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela, which is in a critical state of conservation, it is a top predator with an omnivorous diet, considered the largest predator in Latin America. Although specimens measuring 6 and even 7 meters in length have been obtained, on average they rarely exceed 5 meters and weigh 450 kg.
The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). The most common species on the entire American continent, with a presence from the state of Florida (USA) and the Gulf of Mexico, to the north of Peru and the south of Ecuador, is typical of a warm climate and fresh water, and on average its Adult specimens range between 3 and 4 meters in length, and can exceptionally reach 6 meters and weigh 500 kg.