Crocodiles are very dangerous animals.
Crocodiles are very popular animals due to their skin. Let’s find out why, plus some more interesting facts about them!
- Crocodiles are also called true crocodiles.
- They are large semiaquatic reptiles.
- Crocodiles belong in the Crocodilia order.
- They live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.
- Crocodylinae, all of whose members are considered true crocodiles, belong in a biological subfamily.
- Crocodiles are carnivores.
- In the wild, they feast on fish, birds, frogs, and crustaceans.
- When kept at the zoo, they eat small animals that have already been killed for them, such as rats, fish or mice.
- When they are in the wild they prey with their massive jaws and crush their victim.
- They swallow their whole prey (!)
- Crocodiles swallow small stones that grind up the food in their stomachs.
- Thanks to their slow metabolisms, crocodiles can survive for months without food.
- About 100 million years ago, crocodiles were one of the top animals on the food chain.
- One of the largest known populations of American crocodiles is found in the Dominican Republic.
- They can be found at a large saltwater lake called Lago Enriquillo.
- They live in tropical places because they are cold-blooded and they can’t generate their own heat.
- During colder days they usually hibernate.
- To create a place to hibernate, they dig out a burrow in the side of the riverbank or lake and settle in for a long sleep.
- Crocodiles lay 10 to 60 eggs at a time.
- The hatchlings stay in their eggs for 55 to 110 days.
- They don’t mature until they are 4 to 15 years.
- They can live from 30 years up to 75 years.
- Crocodiles are often confused with alligators, but they are different animals.
- Alligator’s jaw has U shape.
- Crocodiles don’t sweat.
- To keep cool, they open their mouths in a process that is called “mouth gaping”.
- Crocodiles DO cry.
- Crocodile tears aren’t usually noticeable.
- Their tears can be noticed if the croc has been out of the water for a while and the eyes begin to dry out.
- There is a phrase about someone who is lying about his feelings and the phrase is “crocodile tears”.
- It is illegal to hunt crocodiles for their skin.
- This makes their skin very rare.
- A purse made from crocodile skin can cost more than $10,000.
- Since they are in fashion for some reason, there are also many purses that look like they are made from crocodiles’ skin but they are not.
Got anything to add?