Crocodile: interesting facts, photos and short description to compile a report or presentation for children in grades 2-3-4.
Habitat
The crocodile is a large predatory animal. Lives mainly in Africa, as well as in the territories tropical forests in South, Central and North America. Distributed in Northern Australia.
In Japan, Bali, Guatemala, and the Philippine Islands, crocodile is also not uncommon. Some individuals sometimes swim far into the sea and can be encountered at a distance of up to 600 kilometers.
Appearance
The crocodile is a massive and strong animal. It has a flat body and head, short legs, and a long powerful tail. All this indicates that the crocodile is adapted to living both on land and in water.
The size of the crocodile is impressive. The length of its body reaches from 2 to 5.5 meters. This beast weighs from 400 to 1000 kilograms.
The crocodile's body is covered with horny scutes.
Reproduction and lifespan
The female crocodile lays her eggs on land, burying them deep in the sand. This way, the eggs do not overheat, even if the surface is hot. The number of eggs can vary: from 10 to 100 pieces, depending on the type of crocodile. During the entire incubation process, the female does not leave the eggs, protecting them from other predators.
Young crocodiles hatch all at the same time. It is important that the incubation temperature directly affects the sex of the future crocodile. If the temperature remained within 31 - 32 °C, then males will be born, if the temperature was lower or higher - females.
Behavior and nutrition
Crocodiles are in the water almost all the time. They come to land only to bask in the sun or to hunt.
The crocodile goes out in search of food mainly at night, but it will never miss the chance to catch prey if it crosses the river near it. Crocodiles feed mainly on fish, birds, amphibians and mammals.
The history of the origin of crocodiles dates back to 200 million years ago. This was the end of the era of lizards. Their paws then were somewhat longer than those of today, and their muzzles were short. But unlike today's crocodiles, which prefer water more, those individuals lived on land.
Crocodiles are representatives of archosaurs, the only ones that lived to today. Over millions of years, they have hardly changed in appearance. These are highly developed reptiles. Externally they look like a lizard. The color is greenish-brown. The weight of an adult crocodile is 500-600 kg. Body length 3-8 meters. An elongated muzzle that allows you to deftly grab prey and hold it tightly. Highly developed brain. Excellent memory. Eyes with narrow pupils protrude above the level of the head.
The teeth are sharp, different sizes, hollow. New teeth grow in this cavity. There are 64-70 teeth in total. The exact amount depends on the type of individual. Although the mouth of a crocodile with its sharp teeth looks terrifying, he doesn't chew his prey. The teeth are needed, rather, to hold it, then the prey is simply swallowed. In a crocodile they change several times throughout their life.
Related materials:
The most large views crocodiles
The nasopharynx is separated from the oral cavity by the palate. In this regard, the individual can, with its mouth open in the water, inhale air through its nostrils, which remain above the surface of the water.
The crocodile has a powerful tail. Short, webbed feet. However, it can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h. Skin - horny plates rectangular shape, arranged in perfectly straight rows. There is a special valve above the throat that does not allow water to pass through, and air enters through the nasopharynx behind the valve.
Stones in the stomach of a crocodile
This animal has acute hearing and excellent vision. Stones are constantly present in the thick-walled stomach of the individual. Some claim that they are needed for grinding rough food, others claim that stones in the stomachs give the crocodile balance and stability when in water.
These predators do not have a bladder. Unique circulatory system- a four-chambered heart, and the blood supply is regulated by a special mechanism for mixing blood from veins and arteries. A crocodile's lungs can hold a large number of air.
Related materials:
The most predatory dinosaurs
Crocodiles take procreation very seriously. They become overly active, males become aggressive. Rival fights often occur where crocodiles inflict serious damage on each other. With the help of certain sounds, males invite females.
The glands in the throat secrete a musky secretion. The female, preparing for procreation, prepares a mound near the water one to two meters high from branches, mud and mud. Then he makes a hole in it. Then it lays from 30 to 80 oval-shaped eggs in it. The female “insulates” the laid eggs with grass, branches and protects her offspring. The nest should always have a moist environment. To do this, the female regularly hits the water with her tail, spraying the nest.
Some time before birth, the female hears the voices of her cubs through the shell. Then the sounds become more frequent and louder. This is how the little crocodiles ask to be released. If at the time of birth one of the cubs was unable to break the shell themselves, the female herself slightly crushes it with her webbed paws. Only a small percentage of cubs survive to mature age. Most often, when they are still small, they become prey birds of prey, large lizards and other animals.
Crocodiles are comfortable with salt water, but favorable environment- fresh water bodies. Most life is in the water. They go to land a couple of times a day - early in the morning at sunrise and in the evening at sunset. The crocodile is cold-blooded. His normal body temperature is 33-36 degrees.
1. A local fisherman in Costa Rica rescued a crocodile after being shot in the head, and released the reptile back into the pond. The next day, the man discovered that the crocodile had come to his home and was sleeping on the porch. Over the next 20 years, the reptile became part of the family for the man. 2. Large crocodiles have long legs, which allows them to jump out of the water onto their victims at high speed. 3. A crocodile that escaped from the cargo hold during the flight caused panic, which led to a plane crash that claimed the lives of 20 people. The crocodile survived the crash. 4. In 1945, 900 Japanese soldiers were forced to retreat through 10 miles of mangrove swamp. During the retreat, hundreds of soldiers were eaten by thousands of saltwater crocodiles living in these swamps. 5. Crocodile spines are used by hippos as chewing gum. 6. The scales on the heads of crocodiles are not scales, but cracks in the skin. 7. A recently discovered Jurassic crocodile has been named Lemmysuchus, after Motorhead frontman Lemmy. 8. Crocodiles have more in common with birds than with other extant reptile species. 9. India is home to the world's only known species of vegetarian crocodiles. 10. Crocodiles do not have a finite lifespan and can live forever if not exposed to the environment. 11. The phrase "crocodile tears" refers to the medieval misconception that crocodiles shed tears when killing their prey. 12. Paleontologists have found fossils of "Machimosaurus Rex", a prehistoric crocodile that would have been the size of a bus. It is considered the world's largest saltwater crocodile. 13. In 2005, a crocodile named “Osama” was caught in Lake Victoria and ate about 83 residents of a nearby village over the course of two decades. "Osama" was 6 meters long and 50 people took part in its capture. 14. Crocodiles eat rocks to dive deeper. 15. In Africa there is a crocodile named Gustav who has killed more than 300 people. 16. The sex of a crocodile is not determined genetically. Instead, it depends on the ambient temperature during egg development. 17. The ancient Egyptians had a city called Crocodilopolis. It contained a sacred lake where crocodiles were worshiped, fed and decorated with jewelry. 18. In ancient times, there was a tiny herbivorous crocodile covered with a shell. 19. Although the saltwater crocodile has the highest bite force of any animal, the muscles used to open its mouth are very weak. His mouth can be kept securely closed with just a few layers of duct tape. 20. About 4,000 years ago, there was a species of crocodile that was considered entirely terrestrial and had a diet consisting mainly of shellfish. 21. Crocodile blood can suppress HIV and Staphylococcus aureus. 22. The ancient Egyptians mummified crocodiles, which were believed to have the spirit of a god named Sebek. 23. Crocodiles play with each other by splashing water. 24. Crocodiles can travel several kilometers across the ocean. 25. Crocodiles don't sweat. To regulate body temperature they keep their mouths open. 26. The ancient Egyptians used crocodile dung for contraception. 27. To get rid of a crocodile bite, you need to press your thumbs on its eyeballs. 28. The genetics of crocodiles suggest the possibility of growing feathers. Crocodylus porosus The largest crocodile is the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), which is found in India, northern Australia and the Fiji Islands. Its length can reach 7 meters, and its weight can be 1 ton! Five-meter individuals weigh at least half a ton. Moreover, the eggs that the female lays are no larger in size than those of a goose. Osteolaemus tetraspis The smallest crocodile is the dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), with adults barely reaching 190 cm in length. It is more land-dwelling than waterfowl. Prehistoric crocodiles reached a length of 13 meters and were taller than humans. Crocodiles living today have adapted to life both in water and on land. Scientists say that approximately 3,000 years ago, crocodiles lived only on land. The expression denotes ostentatious remorse and repentance. This myth originated from the fact that crocodiles were believed to cry while eating people. In fact, crocodiles do cry when they eat, but this happens for completely biological reasons. The air swallowed by the crocodile during feeding is mixed in a special way with the contents of the lacrimal glands and released in the form of abundant foamy “tears”. Crocodile skin is considered one of the best for making various leather products (in general, this is cruel, but unfortunately, such a business exists). Only the skin of the abdomen is used industrially as it has softness and elasticity. Other places, especially the skin of the limbs and back, are not suitable for this - it is very strong and hard, and can often withstand a direct hit from a bullet. In many cultures around the world, crocodile skin is considered a sign of wealth and high status in society. A handbag made of crocodile skin can cost 10-20 thousand dollars or more, because of this, a large number of crocodiles are killed annually by poachers (their hands would be torn off). In a number of countries, hunting crocodiles in the wild is prohibited, and crocodiles are raised on special farms to obtain their skins. In some cultures, the crocodile was considered a sacred animal, for example in Ancient Egypt. Even today, among some tribes of New Guinea, the crocodile is a totem symbol, and men undergo a painful procedure of mutilating their skin, after which it becomes covered with scars, making it look like a crocodile. The most interesting thing is that some tribes of Australian aborigines are considered masters in hunting crocodiles, while other tribes of the same Australian aborigines consider hunting crocodiles to be sacrilege. The aggressiveness of crocodiles increases during the breeding season, which is associated with the rainy seasons. The crocodile's jaw contains 24 sharp teeth, capable of holding and biting prey, but not chewing. Therefore, they often swallow small stones, so-called gastroliths, which help them grind the contents of their stomach. The total weight of these stones can reach 5 kg (for the Nile crocodile). In addition, these stones allow animals to dive better and stay afloat. Teeth are constantly renewed throughout the reptile's life. The procedure can be repeated approximately one hundred times. New ones develop in the hollow bases of old crocodile teeth. The force of compression of the crocodile's jaws is enormous, but the muscles that open the mouth are so weak that the force of one hand is enough to prevent it from opening. The crocodile is able to very precisely control the force of compression of the jaws, and can both bite the femurs of large animals and transfer its offspring from the nest to the water. The crocodile's tail is also not a gift - its blows are very strong. The crocodile's eye is endowed with a third transparent eyelid, thanks to which the animal does not have difficulty seeing under water. You can often see crocodiles lying for a long time with their mouths open. This is not an expression of aggression, but simple cooling. In this case, the dog sticks out its tongue, and the crocodile opens its mouth - excess heat and sweat come out with breathing. The crocodile recognizes the slightest fluctuations in the water thanks to receptors located on the jaw. It is this ability that allows a predator to find out the location of prey even at a great distance. A crocodile can go without food for about a year. Moreover, some long-livers among these animals can live up to 100 years. Crocodiles have a concept of cannibalism. Larger individuals can eat smaller ones. In addition, if a crocodile finds someone else's clutch or newly hatched crocodiles, he can mercilessly eat them. Thus, only 1% of the offspring of crocodiles survive, the remaining 99% are eaten by their fellow fish and birds No matter how aggressively representatives of this species fight among themselves and no matter how strong and terrible their wounds are, they never have inflammation, much less gangrene. Scientists claim that the blood of crocodiles contains antibiotics that prevent the proliferation of bacteria. Since ancient times, Chinese people have eaten crocodile meat. For this purpose, many fattened these predators at home. The crocodile also served as a watchdog, as it was kept chained to a long chain at the entrance to the yard. It is in vain that some people believe that crocodiles are stupid. These animals are not only smart, but also cunning and hardy. After all, they survived for many millions of years, which indicates their adaptability to existence - these are the laws of evolution that cannot be circumvented. To this day, these scaly reptiles live in various parts of our planet. 
Facts about crocodiles
