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Crocodile
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Copyright © 2009 JungleWalk.com and its licensors.
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More About Crocodiles ...
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A crocodile can be any of the 14 species of large, water-loving reptiles in the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae). The term is also used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodylia: that is, the true crocodiles; the alligators and caymans (family Alligatoridae); and the Gharial (family Gavialidae).
The crocodiles, often just called crocs, are reptiles that live in a large portion of the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Crocodiles tend to live in slow-moving rivers and feed on a wide variety of living and dead mammals and fish. Some species, notably the Saltwater Crocodile of Australia and the Pacific islands, have been know to venture far out to sea.
Contrary to popular belief, only three species of crocodile (the Saltwater, the Mugger and the Nile) and one of alligator (the nearly-extinct Black Caimen) have been known to stalk or attack human beings for food. Large specimens of these four are extremely dangerous. Saltwater Crocodiles in northern Australia take careless tourists on a regular but rare basis, once every few years.
Crocodiles are very fast over short distances, even out of water. They have extremely powerful jaws and razor-sharp teeth for tearing flesh, but cannot open their mouth if it is held closed, hence there are stories of people escaping from the long-snouted Nile Crocodile by holding its jaws shut. All large crocodiles also have sharp and powerful claws. Crocodiles are ambush hunters, waiting for fish or land animals to come close, then attacking with a rush. As cold-blooded predators, they can survive long periods without food, and rarely need to actively go hunting. Despite their slow appearance, crocodiles are top-level predators in their chosen environment, and various species have been observed attacking and killing lions, large ungulates and even sharks.
The largest species of crocodile is the Saltwater Crocodile, found in northern Australia and throughout South-east Asia. It is the largest reptile currently living on Earth. Confusingly, in northern Australia the Saltwater Crocodile is sometimes called an "alligator", which it is not, and the smaller Freshwater Crocodile called a "crocodile". This is possibly because the long-snouted Freshwater Crocodile or "freshie" does look a bit like a miniature Nile Crocodile, while in comparison the "saltie" could be said to look like the far less dangerous American Alligator. So the Alligator Rivers in the Northern Territory are in fact named after the Saltwater Crocodile. This is why some northern Australians will claim that alligators, not crocodiles, are the dangerous ones.
Crocodiles in the wild are protected in Australia and many other parts of the world, but they also are farmed commercially, and their hide is tanned into leather and used to make handbags, boots, and the like, while crocodile meat is considered a delicacy by connoisseurs.
ORDER CROCODYLIA
Family Crocodylidae
American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus
Slender-snouted Crocodile, Crocodylus cataphractus
Orinoco Crocodile, Crocodylus intermedius
Freshwater Crocodile, Crocodylus johnstoni
Philippine Crocodile, Crocodylus mindorensis
Morelet's Crocodile, Crocodylus moreletii
Nile Crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus
New Guinea Crocodile, Crocodylus novaeguineae
Mugger Crocodile or Marsh Crocodile, Crocodylus palustris
Saltwater Crocodile, Crocodylus porosus
Cuban Crocodile, Crocodylus rhombifer
Siamese Crocodile, Crocodylus siamensis
Dwarf Crocodile, Osteolaemus tetraspis
False Gharial, Tomistoma schlegelii
Family Alligatoridae: alligators and caymens
Family Gavialidae: Gavial
The Crocodile (Krokodil in Afrikaans) is the name of a river in South Africa. The city of Nelspruit is situated on this river.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Crocodylia
Family: Crocodylidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Crocodiles
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INFO LINKS
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Nile Crocodile
Honolulu Zoo
Nile Crocodile Read More
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Nile Crocdile
Kenya Beasts
Pictures of Nile Crocdile Read More
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Nile Crocodile
National Geographic - Creature Feature Archive
"Although Nile crocodiles are imposing—they resemble armored tanks with huge, teeth-filled mouths—these reptiles are unusually attentive parents". Nile Crocodile fun facts Read More
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Australian Freshwater Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
"Crocodylus is derived from the Greek krokodeilos which means literally "pebble worm" (kroko = pebble; deilos = worm, or man) referring to the appearance of a crocodile". Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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American Crocodile
National Geographic
American Crocodile fact sheet and pictures; video clip Read More
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Nile Crocodile
National Geographic
Nile Crocodile fact sheet and pictures; video clip Read More
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Saltwater Crocodile
National Geographic
Saltwater Crocodile fact sheet and pictures; video clip Read More
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Crocodile
Crocodilians
Tons of information about crocodiles including species list, biology and behavior etc. Read More
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Morelet's Crocodile
The Belize Zoo
"The Morelet's Crocodile is a small crocodile, seldom exceeding 10 feet in length. There are reports of individuals reaching 14 feet". Brief Description and pictures Read More
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Salt Water Crocodile
Unique Australian Animals
Categorized information on Salt Water Crocodile including description, habitat, feeding, etc. Has nice pictures, too. Read More
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Crocodile
crocodilian photo gallery
Pictures of crocodiles Read More
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Nile Crocodile
Blue Planet Biomes
Brief description of Nile Crocodile with additional references Read More
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Crocodile
Animals Of The Rainforest
"Many species of crocodiles are endangered". Brief description, taxonomic information, pictures, and links Read More
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Nile Crocodile
Africana.com
Brief article about Nile Crocodile Read More
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American Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
"One of the larger crocodilian species. Males typically reach 5 metres". Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Slender-snouted Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Orinoco Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Phillipine Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Morelet's Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
"Relatively small species, usually reaching 3 m in length". Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Nile Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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New Guinea Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
"Found extensively in freshwater swamps, marshes and lakes". Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Mugger
Crocodilian Biology Database
" "Mugger" is a corruption of the Hindi word magar which means "water monster"". Found in India, bangladesh, etc. Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Saltwater Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Cuban Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
"Medium-sized crocodilian, reaching 3.5 m in length". Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Siamese Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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African Dwarf Crocodile
Crocodilian Biology Database
"Primarily found in permanent pools in swamps and areas of slow-moving freshwater in rain forests". Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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False Gharial
Crocodilian Biology Database
"Characteristic slender snout, not dissimilar to the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), from which it derives its common name". Narrative; includes image gallery, name etymology, distribution, identification, habitat, food, conservation, and other information Read More
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Saltwater Crocodile
PBS
Article about the plight of salt water crocodiles in Australia Read More
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American Crocodile
The University of Georgia
Fact Sheet Read More
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