They spend most of their time in the water, but often haul out onto the bank to sun themselves. Some live primarily in saltwater, some live mostly in freshwater, and others utilize brackish habitats. You can find the various species in rivers, river mouths, swamps, lakes, billabongs, reservoirs, estuaries, and more. You can find various species on every continent except Antarctica.
They live primarily along the Equator across their ranges. Three species live throughout various regions of Africa, and the remaining seven species reside throughout southern Asia, northern Australia, and the islands between them.
Each species has its own unique range and distribution. Many species have overlapping populations. Some live across vast areas while others reside in just a small region.
These reptiles are carnivorous creatures that only eat meat. Their diets vary drastically based on where they live, how large they are, and their species. Hatchlings and juveniles feed on insects, incest larvae, small fish, shrimp, frogs , and other small aquatic creatures.
Adults feed on turtles , monkeys, snakes , large fish, and even large hoofed mammals. They are ambush predators. The female stays and guards the nest until the eggs hatch. The hatchlings call out and the female crocodile opens up the nest and carries them to the water, where they immediately start feeding on crabs, shrimps and insects. About half will not survive the first year due to predators.
The oldest crocodilians are estimated to have lived around 71 years on average and there is limited evidence that some individuals may exceed years. One of the oldest crocodiles recorded died in a zoo in Russia apparently aged years old. The larger species of crocodiles can be very dangerous to humans. Mugger crocodiles and possibly the endangered Black Caiman , are also very dangerous to humans.
American alligators are less aggressive and rarely assault humans without provocation. Image Source. More Fascinating Animals to Learn About. Eurasian Water Shrew. Water Beetle. But don't be fooled by their seeming lack of activity—crocs can swim up to 20 miles per hour 32 kilometers per hour and can run on land as fast as 11 miles per hour Some species are active during the day while other species are nocturnal.
Most crocs prefer to stay in water and can look clumsy on land, coming ashore only to bask on sandbars and river banks or to lay eggs. Yet in the water they are agile swimmers, moving with ease by using their powerful, oar-like tails and strongly webbed hind feet.
Many croc species hibernate or go dormant during colder months or long periods of drought, in burrows dug in the sides of river banks. Supper time! Crocs are carnivores and eat whatever they can catch in the water or along the shore.
That includes fish, turtles, frogs, birds, pigs, deer, buffalo, and monkeys, depending on the size of the croc. Gharials and false gharials are specialists, though—with their slender snouts, they tend to stick to eating fish. Gharials have about slender, very sharp teeth. They hunt near the river bottom, slowly moving about and then making swift sideswipes, snapping up fish that come too close to their jaws. Crocs don't chew their food. They either tear off large pieces and swallow them or swallow the prey whole if it's small enough.
The croc has to juggle the food around until it's in the right position, and then toss its head back so the food slides down its throat. Crocodilians can survive months between meals. When hungry, however, some croc species can eat up to half their body weight in one meal. Male crocs are territorial and may fend off other males from his group of females. Male gharials can produce buzzing and whistling noises through the bulb on the tip of their nose to attract females—a crocodilian whistle of appreciation.
Mama crocs. For such ancient, ferocious-looking animals, crocodilian moms take really good care of their hatchlings! Crocs are one of the few reptiles that watch out for and protect their young until they are old enough to be on their own. The cow female croc looks for just the right place to build a nest to lay her eggs.
Some species make a mound nest out of soil and vegetable material; others dig a hole in the sandy beach for their nest. The mama croc then settles in nearby to guard the eggs from predators—large birds, lizards, mongooses, or even raccoons—that might try to dig them up and eat them. Some croc moms even help their baby by gently biting the egg to open it up more easily.
After the young have hatched, the mother carries them to the water in her mouth and then guards them for most of the first year of their lives. She threatens or attacks any predator that lurks too close; mothers of some species call the hatchlings to swim into her mouth for protection—making it look like the youngsters have been swallowed! The exception to this parenting style is the gharial, which has a mouth that is too narrow to pick up her young.
But gharial mothers do stay near their nest during incubation to keep it safe from predators. American alligator. Powered by. Nile crocodile or African crocodile. Saltwater crocodile. Dwarf crocodile.
Siamese crocodile. Freshwater crocodile. African Slender-snouted crocodile. American alligator. Chinese alligator. Spectacled caiman. Broad-snouted caiman. This cookie is set by Google. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
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