Crocodiles ... The Snappy Truth

 

Fact #1 Unlike most other reptiles, crocodiles do not shed their skin but grow into it instead.

 

Fact #2 If a mother crocodile senses danger to her young, she can protect them by putting them in the gular pouch inside her mouth. Young crocodiles do not remain with their mothers beyond two years.

 

Fact #3 The easiest way to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile is by the teeth. When an alligator closes its mouth all of the teeth fit inside and none are exposed. When a crocodile closes its mouth one tooth on each side remains exposed.  Also, alligators are darker. Crocodiles have a lighter skin that is grayish green.

 

Fact #4 Crocodiles don’t have litters of babies they have nests of eggs! These are called “clutches.” Some crocs will dig from 10-30 feet into a creek bank to make a burrow for their nest. Then they create a hidden entrance that is at the water line or just below. A clutch can have as little as 8 eggs or as many as 80!

 

Fact #5 The jaws of a croc can exert 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. They break through both bones and flesh! 

 

Fact #6 New born crocs are 10 inches long! The mother will carry them from the nest to the water. They grow 12 inches a year and can live up to 45 years and longer in captivity. In Madagascar the crocodile was almost extinct due to hunting them for their skins. Other threats are from fishermen’s nets and habitat loss.

 

Fact #7 Crocodiles have the ability to keep their eyes open under water and close their nostrils while under water.

 

Fact #8 Crocodiles also have special glands in their tongues that can get rid of excess salt, so they tend to live in saltwater habitats. Alligators have these glands, too, but they don't work as well as the crocodiles, so alligators prefer to live in freshwater habitats.

 

Fact #9 When fish are migrating, crocs may hunt cooperatively by forming a semi-circle across the river and herding the fish. They then eat the fish that are closest to them.

 

Fact #10 The first species of crocodiles appeared 240 million years ago and are said to have evolved from dinosaurs. This is the same time the Dinosaurs existed. They are closely related to dinosaurs and birds than other reptiles.