Crocodile animal description for children. Where does the crocodile live, in what country? What does a crocodile eat?

It is difficult to give a definite answer to the question of what crocodiles eat. The fact is that each variety of crocodiles has a special diet, but they are all carnivores, and the amount and frequency of food intake largely depends on the age of the individual.

In the vast majority of cases, crocodiles hunt animals at night - their excellent vision allows them to easily track prey and sneak up on it unnoticed. It must be said that not only small, but also very large animals can become prey for these predators - it is clear that the larger the individual, the more powerful opponents it can cope with.

What do crocodiles eat in the wild?

At a very early age, their diet consists of small insects and fish, which are abundant in water bodies. As they grow older, the “menu” expands, and crocodiles most often hunt birds, mammals and other animals. Since their jaws are not designed for chewing, they swallow the animal whole or in large parts. Meat that is too hard and which the crocodile cannot tear immediately, it drags to the bottom and waits until the prey becomes softer.

Most often, the crocodile's prey is animals coming to drink. These are mainly ungulates: antelope, zebra, buffalo, gazelle, deer, livestock. In addition to ungulates, he is not averse to eating fish, waterfowl, rodents, reptiles and amphibians. In a word, a crocodile’s menu includes a variety of food and the older the animal, the larger prey it prefers.

As for rotten meat and eating its own kind, such cases are very rare, although if the crocodile is hungry, then this option to cope with hunger is not excluded. At one time, reptiles are able to eat about 23 percent of their own body weight, of which more than half is transformed into fat cells. This feature allows them to survive during periods of famine - crocodiles in their natural environment do not eat every day or even every week. The maximum period they can live without food is 1-1.5 years.

The older the crocodile, the less frequently it needs food. A young individual needs to eat food in the amount of 10% of its own weight per week, while 5% is enough for an adult crocodile.

What do crocodiles eat at the zoo?

In captivity, crocodiles are fed much more often - every other day or even every day, although from a health point of view this is harmful, since the process of digesting food takes them about 4-5 days. As for products, small crocodiles are fed mainly with laboratory mice, frogs, insects, and day-old chicks. Supplementing the diet with beef liver or just beef to provide sufficient calcium and vitamins, C and B1. To avoid intestinal blockage, rodents and birds are skinned, and fatty meat is completely excluded from the diet.

Adults have a much more modest diet, mainly fish, poultry, and beef. Eggs are sometimes given as a treat. Crocodiles are fed 2-3 times a week.

On the planet, this is a crocodile, a descendant of representatives of the archosaur subclass. By the way, this class includes dinosaurs and birds. There are many interesting facts about crocodiles, and the very first one is the ideal body structure for existence in the water element. The crocodile has a flattened head with a long muzzle, and the body itself is elongated, like the tail. The legs are short and the tail is muscular and strong. The toes of the front and hind paws have webbed toes. In water, a crocodile can reach speeds of 35 km/h, and on land - up to 17 km/h.

The reptile has many similarities with dinosaurs. Both animals have clearly defined temporal arches; the nostrils, eyes and ears are located practically on the top of the head, which allows the reptile to lie under the surface of the water, but at the same time see everything that happens on land.

The predator has no enemies in the wild. Only some mammals eat the eggs of reptiles that lay them on land. Egg lovers include monitor lizards, turtles and other animals.

Habitat

The list of interesting facts about crocodiles also includes the fact that this animal lives in all parts of the planet where the climate is humid and warm, in the tropics. This is Africa, North and South America, Australia, Guatemala, Bali and even Japan.

Crocodiles spend most of the day in the water. They prefer fresh water bodies. However, excellent salt metabolism allows the reptile to live even in very salty sea water.

Diet

The next interesting fact about crocodiles: the reptile obtains food in water and on land. The volume and variety of diet largely depend on the size of the individual. But nevertheless, the basis of nutrition is representatives of the water depths. These are fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Second on the list are birds that fly over bodies of water, bats, lizards and snakes. The crocodile even eats representatives of poisonous species, such as the toad.

If the animal lives in sea water, then in addition to fish, the diet includes dolphins, stingrays, sharks and turtles. A crocodile can defeat a white shark in a fight, which is not inferior in size to the reptile. The reptile hunts on the shore for monitor lizards, antelopes, wild boars, pythons, deer and buffalo. Even lions, cheetahs, hyenas, monkeys, kangaroos, martens, that is, almost all animals that approach a body of water and behave imprudently, can fall into the mouth of a reptile.

And the most interesting fact about crocodiles is that they can eat each other.

Hunting rules

Almost all daytime the crocodile is in the water, and the hunt begins only after dark. If small specimens are encountered, the reptile swallows them completely. If there is a large animal at stake, then the crocodile defeats it with brute force, cunning and surprise. When a crocodile catches a large fish, it drags it into shallow water, where it will simply suffocate.

Despite many teeth and powerful jaws, the animal cannot chew, although it can easily crush a buffalo's skull. After killing the prey, the crocodile tears it into pieces and swallows them.

The animal requires a lot of food; in one so-called lunch, a crocodile can eat about 20% of its weight. The predator is even able to hide the remains of uneaten prey, but it very rarely remains intact.

general description

On average, crocodiles range from 2 to 5 meters in length. Some species grow up to 7 meters. On average, the weight of a reptile is from 400 to 700 kilograms. At the same time, the head weighs about 200 kg. Regardless of the species, females are approximately 2 times smaller than males.

All crocodiles:

9 cervical vertebrae;
17 vertebrae on the body;
35-37 vertebrae in the tail.

The animal's teeth are cone-shaped. The average length is 5 cm. And here it is necessary to mention an interesting fact about crocodiles - inside each tooth there is a cavity where a new young one is formed as the old one is ground down. And the number of teeth, depending on the type, is from 72 to 100 pieces.

The cardiac muscle of a predator is four-chambered. And the blood contains antibiotics, which help protect against dirt and infection in case of damage.

The skin consists of horny scutes that have a rectangular shape. All these shields are arranged in clear rows. Skin color depends entirely on the area of residence and can range from sandy to dark brown.

In the animal's muscular stomach there are unique stones - gastroliths, which stimulate the process of grinding food and even give balance to the entire body during swimming.

The growth of a predator does not stop throughout its life. The average life expectancy is from 80 to 100 years.

Lifestyle

All crocodiles are cold-blooded, and their body temperature is completely dependent on their environment. But all individuals have osteoderms that perform a thermoregulatory function, so fluctuations in body temperature per day do not exceed two degrees.

Predators come out onto land in the morning or in the afternoon, when there is an opportunity to sunbathe.

If there is a drought, the reptiles hibernate, having first dug a hole in the dry riverbed in which they sleep. They rarely move on land, but if necessary they can cover long distances at a speed of 17 km/h.

Species of crocodiles

Modern classification divides crocodiles into 3 families. Further on there are 8 genera and 24 species.

The family of true crocodiles and their differences from alligators

This family includes the Nile, combed, Siamese, sharp-snouted and blunt-snouted crocodile. There is also the Australian narrowsnout.

The alligator family includes: Mississippi and Chinese, black and spectacled caiman.

Main differences:

And the most interesting fact about crocodiles is that they have salt and lacrimal glands, which do not allow salt to accumulate in the body, while alligators and caimans do not have them, so they are found in freshwater bodies of water.

Gharial family

This group includes the Ghanaian and Gharial crocodiles. Main differences:

Like alligators, gharial crocodiles do not have salt glands, so they live exclusively in freshwater bodies.

The first of 10 interesting facts about crocodiles is that these animals cry. Yes, they really cry, but not out of pity, but in this way they remove excess salt from their body.

Second fact: the largest individuals in size are found in Northern Australia, India and the Fiji Islands. Some crocodiles reach 7 meters in length, and their weight, accordingly, is about 1 ton. Moreover, even in such huge predators, the clutch consists of small eggs, which are no larger in size than goose eggs. However, the hatched individual is three times longer than the egg.

Third fact: crocodiles have a huge fat reserve, which allows them to live without food for about 1 year. If an unexpected hunger strike occurs, the reptile’s metabolism even slows down.

The fourth interesting fact about crocodiles: the Nile and combed species most often attack humans, since they are the most aggressive. At the same time, aggressiveness increases during the rainy and breeding seasons.

Fifth fact: crocodiles previously, 3 thousand years ago, lived exclusively in water, and their sizes reached 13 meters.

Sixth fact: many peoples of the world still consider the crocodile to be a sacred animal. Mummified reptiles have been found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. And in the records of Herodotus you can find a mention that high-ranking Egyptians even kept these animals as pets. Some peoples of New Guinea still undergo a painful procedure to mutilate their skin to make it look like a crocodile.

Seventh fact: all crocodiles have stones in their stomachs. In the Nile species, the weight of the gastrolith reaches 5 kg.

Eighth fact: any type of crocodile clenches its jaws with tremendous force, but the muscles themselves, which are responsible for opening the mouth, are very weak. Therefore, even a person can easily open the animal’s mouth. And the most powerful bite is that of the combed species; it can only be compared with the clenching of the jaw of a sperm whale or killer whale.

Ninth fact: crocodiles are cannibals. They often eat their smaller brothers, and when they encounter a clutch of eggs, even if the babies have begun to hatch, they will definitely eat them all.

Tenth fact: one male can have a whole harem, with up to 12 females.

And some more interesting facts from the life of crocodiles:

The smallest reptile species is the dwarf, which barely reaches 2 meters in length and is terrestrial.
Crocodiles cannot be trained, although in Burkina Faso there is a pond where local residents managed to do this; predators let you touch their tails and sometimes ride on their backs.
The crocodile has only one friend - the Egyptian runner. This small bird is the predator’s natural “dentist,” although some experts consider this theory as a myth, since there is no evidence, and there is no need to brush a crocodile’s teeth, since they change throughout life.

And the most interesting thing is that the sex of the future crocodile completely depends on the surrounding temperature. If it does not exceed 31 degrees, then females will definitely be born; if the temperature rises from 33.5 and above, then there will be males.

Crocodiles have been on our planet for about 250 million years. They were able to survive many of the most ancient animals, including even dinosaurs, and were able to endure all the changes in living conditions that occurred during this time on Earth.

Over time, these reptiles began to represent large species of amphibian predators, which frighten with their appearance, but at the same time arouse special interest. You can find out where crocodiles are found by reading this article.

These amazing crocodiles

Crocodiles are considered the most highly organized reptiles among others of their own kind. Allows us to consider them such animals, especially the nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems. Currently, 21 species of crocodiles live on our planet; they are representatives of three families: alligator, crocodile and gharial.

Crocodiles are closely related to the long-extinct dinosaurs; they outlived them by 60 million years. years. Reptiles increasingly began to adapt to the aquatic predatory lifestyle. These animals reproduce by laying eggs. Crocodiles live 80-100 years, becoming “adults” at 8-10 years.

Why do crocodiles last so long?

For many millions of years in a row, crocodiles were inhabitants of the tropics and subtropics. Since the habitat remained largely unchanged, they also remained unchanged. In those prehistoric times, after the extinction of dinosaurs and other predators, crocodiles became the rightful masters of their place of residence. There are no more enemies left.

Predatory animals such as tigers, lions and leopards lived in a completely different environment and did not have the opportunity to hunt crocodiles, full-fledged inhabitants of water bodies. But, at the same time, these reptiles have a new terrible enemy, one might say - mortal. This was a man who destroyed them for two reasons:

Fear of a predator;
Crocodile skin is valuable in the manufacture of leather products.
Meat and eggs - in some countries, people have begun to eat reptile meat and eggs.

There is no hunter who would not dream of getting such an amazing trophy as a crocodile.

Where do crocodiles live?

Children, seeing this terrible animal for the first time, ask the question: “Where do crocodiles live?” Everyone thinks that sharks are the most dangerous in the sea, and only a few know for sure that crocodiles are also dangerous in the sea. These reptiles are found not only in freshwater bodies of the tropics.

Some representatives of toothy giants can live in salt water. There are predators who express a desire to fish in coastal sea waters. These are Nile and African narrow-snouted crocodiles. Of course, rivers and swamps are considered their permanent habitat, but they are often found near river deltas, and there the water is no longer fresh at all, but brackish.

Sharp-snouted crocodiles, which are listed in the Red Book, live in the waters of mangrove shores and seashores; brackish water bodies are suitable for them. Adults sometimes swim into the open sea. The habitat of this saltwater crocodile is Central America, Mexico, Cuba, Peru and Ecuador, as well as Haiti and Jamaica.

Crocodiles have invaded Australia

How are people not afraid to live next to such monsters? But crocodiles are an integral part of Australian romance. Probably everyone knows a crocodile named Dundee. Over the past decade, a strong litter of crocodiles has been observed in tropical Australia, where they have comfortably settled in northern Queensland.

Their habitat is the rivers of Australia, into which sea water enters during high tides. In order to find other habitats, representatives of the largest breeds of crocodiles found in Australia swim into the ocean waters. So, while on the beach, you may have the opportunity to meet one of them.

Crocodiles living in salt waters are very dangerous animals. They cause several deaths in Australia every year. Crocodiles change their terrible teeth, 60 in number, hundreds of times during their lives.

Even a toothless, very old crocodile poses a mortal danger. He can slam his jaws shut with a force that can be measured in a ton. He easily breaks the body of his chosen victim. Small prey is swallowed whole. If the piece is too large, the “old man” calls his girlfriend for help. A very interesting fact is that crocodiles can live a whole year without food. Only after this it is better not to catch his eye!

The heart of a crocodile, compared to other predators, is considered the most complex, and its brain is very small, the size of a walnut. Residents of Australia joke: “For life to last a million years, you need to be like a crocodile - have the same huge mouth, tiny brain and many girlfriends.”

Saltwater saltwater crocodile

The warm waters of India, Indonesia, and the Philippines are home to the world's largest reptile, the saltwater crocodile. But the favorite habitat of saltwater crocodiles is the coast of northern Australia. Some individuals were found very far from their permanent places of residence, for example, in Japan. They are about 7 meters long and weigh 2 tons. This predator is even larger than the polar bear.

At first glance, very clumsy combed crocodiles are capable of participating in long water crossings, while using their cunning: their massive body is left to sea currents, which easily transport it, sometimes over distances of hundreds of kilometers. By swimming through the water without any effort, predatory seafarers save their energy.

Huge marine reptiles often attack humans, appearing in unexpected places. In Australia, more people suffer from crocodile attacks than shark attacks. But accurate data on attacks by these ancient predators on people is available only in developed regions of Australia. If you believe the data, then in forty-two years the number of deaths due to crocodiles is 106 people. At this time in Malaysia, attacks by fanged reptiles on people end tragically about 100 times a year.

There is no evidence that there have been cases of saltwater crocodiles attacking people outside Australia. You shouldn't believe that reptiles kill thousands of people every year. This statement is not true, it was invented by companies and other sources for whom it is beneficial to characterize these reptiles from the bad side in order to gain financial benefit.

Australia is a leader in crocodile conservation. In some areas of its states (in Western and Northern Australia, Queensland) there are about 100,000 - 200,000 representatives of this species. The saltwater (combed) crocodile is listed in the Red Book.

When were crocodiles found in Russia?

If we say that Russia is the birthplace of elephants, it will not be funny, but simply ridiculous. But that there were crocodiles in Russia is not such a fiction. As some reliable sources indicate, almost until the very end of the nineteenth century, these animals were found in western Russia, or, as they say, they were simply noticed.

Official science has come to the conclusion that, despite the desire to see these animals and love for them, crocodiles do not live in Russia. Great specialist on reptiles M.B. Efimov said that the last crocodile, whose place of residence was the Novgorod region, disappeared from Russian territory 15 million years ago. The harsh climate of the country could not suit them.

The life of crocodiles depends entirely on the environment in which they live. If the temperature outside is slightly below 20 degrees, they lie without moving. At temperatures of 30 degrees and above they also sleep. In order for the incubation period for crocodile eggs to pass normally, it will take 90-100 days with a temperature of at least 25 degrees Celsius.

There is no place in Russia where crocodiles or alligators can live. Representatives of these reptiles will freeze and die while in the harsh Russian winters. True, there are times when one of the people brings a small animal from afar and keeps it at home. After it becomes large and dangerous, the would-be breeder sends it to a pond. In such an environment, a crocodile, doomed to inevitable death, becomes very aggressive and poses a danger to all creatures around it, including people.

Terrarium of the Moscow Zoo in Russia

Currently, you can see crocodiles in Russia only by visiting the “Terrarium” in zoos. In Moscow, it provides the opportunity to get acquainted with the following animals:

The Mississippi alligator, which naturally lives in fresh water bodies of water in the southeastern United States;
A Chinese alligator that is protected by law internationally.

These alligators are the only animals that hibernate during the winter. The male Mississippi alligator, Saturn, has an interesting life story. Before the outbreak of World War II, he was a resident of a zoo in Berlin and belonged to Hitler personally. After the end of the war, it came to England as a trophy, from where the country's government transferred it to Russia as a gift in 1946. So he began to live in the Moscow Zoo. The crocodile is approximately 85 - 100 years old, but this is not an exact figure.

The Moscow Zoo was open to visitors even during the war. Some animals were sent to areas of Russia where there was no military action, mainly to Sverdlovsk. Almost all predators, including reptiles, remained in place.

The real crocodiles in the Moscow Zoo are represented by the gharial crocodile, whose length reaches 5 meters. This is the largest of all the other representatives of the zoo. The blunt-snouted crocodile also lives there. This is the smallest species, its length does not exceed 1.7 m. He is very curious and poses no danger to people. One batch of these predators was delivered from Australia.

The collection of real facts from the life of crocodiles is constantly growing. Delving into mysterious stories, including those relating to the life of these amazing reptiles similar to dinosaurs, people think about the incredible world that reigns around them, and also learn a lot that is still unknown to themselves.

There are approximately 23 species of crocodiles in the world. As a rule, we imagine these animals as reptiles with a large head, short legs and huge teeth. Of course, they are all similar in appearance, but each species is truly unique and has its own interesting features. This list includes crocodiles that are often overshadowed by their more famous relatives, such as the Nile crocodile, saltwater crocodile, or American alligator. So.

They live only on the island of Juventud, as well as in some swamps in Cuba. They reach three meters in length (a relatively small species). They are perhaps the most aggressive of all types of crocodiles. They are dangerous and have incredible dexterity and intelligence, but due to their rarity and limited habitat, cases of Cuban crocodiles attacking people are very rare. When hunting large prey, they can work as one team. This is a very active species that spends a lot of time on land, although it is considered a semi-aquatic animal.

They live in tropical rivers and swamps of Western and Central Africa. This is the smallest species of crocodile found in the wild, measuring only 1.5 meters in length. It feeds on insects, frogs, fish and carrion. These crocodiles are not dangerous to humans (although females will defend their nest and attack any intruders, as almost all crocodiles do). They live in burrows on the banks of the river, which they dig themselves and emerge from them only at night.

Another little-known species of crocodile that lives in tropical rivers and swamps of Africa. The narrow-snouted crocodile is much larger than the dwarf (taller) crocodile, capable of growing up to 4 meters. It feeds mainly on fish and aquatic invertebrates. The numbers of these crocodiles are steadily decreasing due to uncontrolled hunting and reduction of their usual habitats.

Found in Indonesia (on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, probably on Sulawesi), Malaysia (Malacca Peninsula, Borneo) and Vietnam (most likely extinct). The animal has been considered extinct in Thailand since 1970. The gharial crocodile got its name due to its external resemblance to the gharial (1st place in the list). It is rarely mentioned as one of the largest species, but there is plenty of evidence that the gharial crocodile is capable of growing to an incredible size of 6 to 7 meters. The main food is fish, but studies of the stomach of individual individuals have shown the presence of insects, crustaceans and mammals (up to macaques) in their diet.

This is one of the most common crocodiles in the world. The piranha caiman, as it is also called, lives in the swamps and reservoirs of Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina. Fortunately, they are quite small (2 meters) and rarely attack humans. It feeds on aquatic invertebrates (they especially prefer snails) and vertebrates - fish, less often snakes.

This animal is more widespread than any of the alligators: it is found from Mexico to Peru, as well as in Brazil. Crocodile caimans are unusual because they can change the color of their skin (although they do so rather slowly). They grow up to 3 meters in length, but usually less. The main food of this caiman is shellfish, freshwater crabs, amphibians and fish. There are also cases of cannibalism.

They live in the Amazon River region and in northern South America up to the Caribbean coast. Caimans choose areas with relatively fast currents, but can also tolerate standing water. Also found in flooded forests. The smooth-faced caiman is the smallest of all currently living crocodile species. The length of males is up to 160 cm, females - about 120 cm. They feed on everything they can catch, often hunting on land, especially at night. Recently it has become a popular exotic pet.

The Chinese alligator lives only in eastern Asia, in the Yangtze River basin in China. This is a very rare species of crocodiles; there are less than 200 individuals left in the wild. It feeds mainly on mollusks, but does not disdain fish, the small animals of which it was able to catch. Body length can reach 2.2 m, but usually does not exceed 1.5 m.

Also known as Johnston's crocodile or freshwater crocodile. This is a relatively small species of crocodiles that very rarely grow more than 2–3 meters in length; it will take them 25–30 years to reach such a size. Like all narrow-snouted crocodiles, the basis of their diet is fish. They can also feed on amphibians, birds, small reptiles and mammals. This species of crocodile lives in the northern regions of Australia: in the states of Western Australia and Queensland. This crocodile is considered not dangerous to humans, although it can attack if it thinks that you pose a danger to it.

This little-known and rather rare species of crocodiles is common in India and Nepal. The length of its body reaches 5–7 m. Its feature is a very narrow and long muzzle. The gharial spends most of its time in the water, preferring to stay in calm areas on deep, fast-flowing rivers. Unlike other crocodiles, they have very short and weak legs, they come out of the water only to bask in the sun and lay eggs. Despite their enormous size, they are usually harmless to humans, but can attack in self-defense. Sometimes human remains and precious stones are found in the stomachs of gharials. This is explained by the fact that gharials swallow the remains of cremated bodies, which, according to ancient custom, are buried in the waters of the Ganges River. The gharial is considered one of the rarest crocodiles in the world.

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The main difference between an alligator and a crocodile is the shape of their nose (snout). Alligators have a U-shaped nose, while crocodiles have a V-shaped nose. There are also some pretty amazing differences within each species of these animals. Below are just ten examples of the strangest, rarest and most unusual alligators and crocodiles in the world.

10 – Mecistops cataphractus
African Slender Snouted Crocodile

While its snout is not as unusual as some of the other reptiles on this list, it is still quite distinctive. They are usually medium-sized crocodiles, but they can still grow up to 3 to 4 meters.

9 – Crocodylus suchus
West African crocodile (Desert Crocodile)

It was this type of crocodiles that was most often found mummified inside Egyptian tombs and burial grounds. This is also the same species that is depicted on the Bust of Sobek, the Egyptian god of crocodiles!

8 – Alligator sinensis
Chinese Alligator

Believe it or not, there are only two known living species of alligators in the world! The first one is a much larger one, the American alligator (which we will see later), and this one is a Chinese alligator, which is much smaller and more adorable. This rare prehistoric beast is one of the smallest alligator species in the world. And also the owner of the most charming face!

7 – Crocodylus siamensis
Siamese Crocodile

The Siamese crocodile is considered one of the least studied crocodiles in the world. It is also on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, it may already be too late to observe them in their natural habitat.

6 – Paleosuchus palpebrosus
Cuvier's dwarf caiman

Even though this crocodile might be the world's smallest crocodile species, considering its body length of 1.2 meters as an adult, it is safe to say that they are still quite large.

5 – Alligator mississippiensis
American alligator

As mentioned above, compared to the Chinese alligator, the American alligator is much larger.
The average length of adult individuals is up to 3 m for females and up to 4.5 m for males.

4 – Leucistic Alligator
White Alligator (Albino)

There are only 12 of these alligators believed to exist in the entire world. By, this is just an ordinary American alligator that was born an albino.

3 – Crocodylus porosus
Saltwater crocodile (Estuarine Crocodile)

Although this photo turned out to be a trick using a special camera angle rather than actual size, some saltwater crocodiles can grow to over 6 meters! This is an extremely large crocodile.

2 – Osteolaemus tetraspis
African Dwarf Crocodile

He may look adorable, but don't forget that his body length is 180 centimeters. In addition, his neck, back and tail are thoroughly protected. In addition, he is also very dangerous.

1 – Gavialis gangeticus
Gangetic gharial (Gavial Crocodile)

The gharial is a long-nosed crocodile that loves fish. He is also one of the longest crocodiles in the world. Their body length can reach 6.25 meters!