Crocodile

A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae). The term more loosely used to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e. the true crocodiles, the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae) and the gharials (family Gavialidae), or even the Crocodylomorpha. Crocodiles are large aquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, Americas and Australia. Crocodiles prefer freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water.

They feed mostly on vertebrates like fish, reptiles, and mammals, sometimes on invertebrates of mollusks and crustaceans depending on species and are known to be decendants of the archosaurs which became extinct some 150 million years ago. Male adults can exceed 5m (16ft) and can weigh upto 1000kg (2000lbs) with their horny plated skin and powerful tail. They have up to a hundred peg like teeth in their long jaws. Crocodiles take larger prey at waterholes with their sideways lunge and take them under the water to drown. Large numbers of crocodiles will devour big carcasses turning, thrashing and spinning to remove large chunks of flesh.

Crocodiles reach sexual maturity from 12-15 year of age and the sex of the embryos are detemined by the temperature with the males being 31.6 °C and the females higher or lower than that.