101 Facts… Crocodiles!
WebBook by IP Factly
Over 101 cool facts about these awe-inspiring animals.
Some of the animals included in the book are listed below. Follow the links for the animal’s video playlist:
For video footage…
Contents
Contents
Crocodilians
History
Crocodiles vs. Alligators
Anatomy
Diet
Reproduction
Saltwater Crocodile
Nile Crocodile
American Crocodile
Cuban Crocodile
Desert or Dwarf Crocodile
Lesser-known Crocodiles
American Alligator
Chinese Alligator
Gharial
Caiman Species
Attacks on Humans
Final Facts
Video Page
Photo Credits
Crocodilians
Crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials are all different types of animals but they belong to the same order – crocodilia. Together, they are called crocodilians. They are some of the largest and oldest reptiles on Earth, as well as some of the most fearsome and fascinating.
American Alligator by Matt Tillett
History
The crocodilian order first appeared during the late Cretaceous period roughly 83.5 million years ago, during the same time that jawed and bony fishes appeared. Their ancestors, however, lived as early as 250 million years ago during the Early Triassic period.
Crocodilians belong to the group of animals known as archosaurs. Dinosaurs belonged to this group, as well as all birds, which makes birds the closest living relatives of crocodilians, as different as they may look.
In particular, crocodilians belong to the division of archosaurs known as pseudosuchia. Pseudosuchia literally means ‘false crocodile’ and includes all other archosaurs that are more closely related to crocodilians than birds.
Rauisuchians are one of the earliest ancestors of the crocodilians and lived during the Triassic period. They were very large, often growing up to 20 feet (6 meters) in length, and walked on land with their legs straight beneath them rather than splayed out.
Life reconstruction of a rauisuchian by Dmitry Bogdanov
Phytosaurs were also early crocodilians. Like the modern crocodilians, they had long snouts and armored bodies, though they had much thicker armor. They could live both on water and on land and had their nostrils above their eyes.
When the dinosaurs became extinct, many of the early crocodilians died out, as well. Some, however, called crocodylomorphs, survived and evolved into the modern crocodilians – the crocodyloids, alligatoroids and gavialoids that appeared in the Late Cretaceous period.
Crocodiles vs. Alligators
Crocodiles and alligators are the two main families of the order crocodilia. They are both large reptiles that live on both land and water.
There are 14 species of crocodile that can be found in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia, Australia, Africa and North and South America. Alligators are rarer, having only two species – they are both aptly named as the American alligator lives in the USA and the Chinese alligator in China.
Crocodiles are mostly found in tropical areas and are unable to tolerate the cold. Alligators, on the other hand, can survive in colder areas, and spend most of their time in the water during very cold weather, with only their snouts visible. Their snouts sometimes freeze, but they are still able to breathe.
American alligator, Louisiana, USA by dhobern
Crocodiles can be found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats because they have salt glands. Alligators can only be found in freshwater.
Crocodiles are larger than alligators. They can weigh over 4,000 pounds (1,814 kilograms) whereas the largest alligators weigh less than 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms). Crocodiles are also longer by about three to six feet (one to two meters).
Crocodiles have longer, V-shaped snouts and even when their jaws are closed, the fourth teeth of the lower jaw can be seen. Alligators have wider, U-shaped snouts.
Crocodiles are lighter in appearance, ranging from olive green to light brown. Alligators are dark, appearing greyish or even black.
Crocodile by Francesco
Crocodiles are more aggressive than alligators, often taking any prey, even humans. Most attacks on humans are caused by crocodile species.
Crocodiles typically live longer – sometimes up to an astonishing 100 years. The average lifespan of an alligator is 30 to 50 years.
Anatomy
Crocodilians have four short legs that are spread outward, and only their back feet are webbed.
Crocodilians have four toes on their back feet but just five toes on their front feet.
Crocodilians have their eyes on the top of their heads which allows them to see above water even when their whole body is submerged.
All Eyes on You by Paul Mason
Crocodilians have excellent night vision which allows them to hunt at night. Their eyes have a special coating which glows red in the dark. This is called “tapetum lucidum” and is common in many animals including cats and dogs. So if you come across a river at night and see some glowing red dots on it, you might want to stay away!
Underwater, crocodilians rely more on their hearing to find food. Their eardrums are covered with flaps of muscle that they can open when on land and close when underwater. Their hearing is said to be as sensitive as that of birds.
Crocodilians cannot move their tongues freely like most other animals. Rather, their tongues are held in place at the bottom of their mouths by a special membrane.
Crocodilians have strong tails that they move from side to side in order to swim. They tuck in their legs to make themselves more streamlined swimmers and only spread them out when they want to stop or change direction.
On land, crocodilians have two kinds of walk – the high walk and the low walk. During the high walk, crocodilians hold their bellies and tails off the ground and walk in a similar fashion to mammals, one leg at a time. During the low walk, the crocodilians have their bellies and tails close to the ground.
High walk of the American alligator by the South Florida Water Management District
Crocodilians have roughly 75 to 85 teeth, the shape of which varies depending on the shape of snout. They are able to replace lost or broken teeth up to 50 times per tooth and always have a smaller tooth ready to replace a lost one.
A crocodilian’s skin is covered with non-overlapping scales called scutes which are strengthened by bony plates called osteoderms. These provide crocodilians with a very thick protective armor that can withstand damage from other crocodilians during fights. A strong immune system means any wounds suffered during fights heal within just a few days.
American Alligator at Everglades by Gopal Venkatesan
Crocodilians have the most scales on the back of their head and neck for protection. The skin on their head is actually fused with their skulls.
A crocodilian can push its lungs back and forth inside its body. Pushing their lungs toward their heads allows them to float. In contrast, they sink in water when their lungs are pushed back toward their tails.
Crocodilians can close their nostrils when underwater but their mouths are not watertight. They have a special valve called the palatal valve which prevents water from flowing into their throats. Thanks to this, they can hold their breath and stay underwater for as long as two hours. It also enables them to grab and hold prey with their mouth while underwater.
A crocodilian’s heart is much like a human’s, having four chambers and two ventricles – an unusual trait among reptiles. They can alter their blood circulation to regulate their temperature and aid in other bodily functions such as digestion.
A crocodilian’s stomach is divided into two parts – the gizzard, where the food is ground, and a chamber where the food particles are dissolved into liquid by acids. A crocodilian’s stomach is more acidic than that of any other animal, which allows it to break down whole chunks of meat and bone.
Like other reptiles, crocodilians are cold-blooded. They keep themselves warm by basking in the sun and when it is too hot, they keep cool by submerging themselves in water.
Crocodile basking in the sun by Damien Williams
Crocodilians do not have a bladder. They lose most of the salt in their body through their sweat and urine, and in crocodiles and gharials, through the salt glands on their tongue.
Crocodilians have a massive bite force – their jaws can come down fast and hard. The muscles for opening their jaws, however, are very weak. This is good if you’re trying to catch a crocodile, since you can easily hold its jaws together with just duct tape. However it’s a bad thing if you’re the one caught between the jaws!
Diet
The diet of crocodilians varies by species and depends on the shape of the snout. They are largely carnivorous, though, and can eat animals both on land and in the water, including animals larger than themselves!
Nile crocodile lunging at a leaping wildebeest youngster by Lip Kee
Rather than by biting, crocodilians kill their prey by drowning them, hitting them on the rocks or shaking them back and forth. This shaking motion is known as “the whiplash”.
Crocodilians cannot chew. They swallow their food whole, tearing large animals into chunks. If the animal has a thick hide, they wait for it to decompose a little before tearing it apart.
Jaws of death by Mybiggestfan
Crocodilians are also scavengers, not hesitating to feed on animal carcasses. Some species are known to share, while others don’t.
Reproduction
Crocodilians mate in the water, with one dominant male mating with several females. The mating season usually takes place from September to October or during the monsoon when the females are most fertile.
One month after mating, the female crocodilian begins to make her nest. The location and appearance of the nest varies depending on the species. Some dig holes in the mud while others make mounds.
A crocodilian can lay as many as fifty eggs a year, again depending on the species. The eggs are covered in hard shells and hatch after two to three months.
The sex of the hatchlings can be determined by the temperature of the nest. Cooler nests produce more females and warmer nests produce more males. Occasionally, a nest with only females or only males occurs.
Despite crocodilians’ size, their eggs are no larger than goose eggs. Some eggs are white, others grey and still others are a light shade of green.
Eggs of the Nile crocodile by Kevin Walsh
Crocodilian hatchlings can communicate while still inside the egg, by making tapping sounds. According to reports, this allows them to hatch all at the same time, usually during the relative safety of the night.
Soon after hatching, baby crocodilians give distress calls to let their parents know they have hatched. Later, their parents make sounds to let their young know when there is food or to warn them of predators.
Newly hatched crocodile baby by 3D Photographers
Mother crocodilians are caring parents and will scoop up their hatchlings in their snouts and carry them to water so they can learn how to swim. If the hatchlings have a hard time getting out of their eggs, mothers also help them by rolling the eggs gently inside their mouths to crack the shells.
Newly hatched crocodilians can survive for up to 58 days without food. During this time, they lose about 23% of their weight but easily regain it later on if they are able to eat.
Baby North American Alligator by johnrbeckett
Almost 99% of crocodilian hatchlings fall prey to fish, birds, snakes, lizards and sometimes, even adult crocodilians. Once they get past their first year, however, crocodilians have very few predators and often live a long time.
Baby gator eating a tadpole by Craig O’Neal
Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile, or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest crocodilian and the largest of all living reptiles. A male saltwater crocodile can weigh up to 4,400 pounds (2,000 kilograms) and grow as long as 22 feet (7 meters)!
Saltwater Crocodile on Adelaide River, Australia
Saltwater crocodiles are the most widely distributed crocodilians, found in India, Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa. They are known to travel from one place to another by swimming in the ocean.
The saltwater crocodile has the longest teeth of any crocodilian. The longest tooth was measured at 3.5 inches (9 centimeters) long, which is longer than any of an average man’s fingers!
Big crocodile in Oz by fvanrenterghem
Young saltwater crocodiles are yellow with black stripes or spots. As they grow, they become tan or olive green.
The saltwater crocodile is the most sea-going of all the crocodiles. When in the ocean, it simply floats, saving energy by allowing the current to move it along. Some saltwater crocodiles spend so much time in the ocean that barnacles grow on them.
Saltwater crocodiles are not picky eaters. They eat ground birds and water birds, fish, snakes, monitor lizards and even large mammals like deer, orangutans, leopards and water buffaloes. At sea, they eat sea turtles and will even snack on sharks!
Saltwater Crocodile by thinboyfatter
The saltwater crocodile’s bite force is stronger than that of any other animal living today. Some scientists say its bite force would have been even stronger than a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Nile Crocodile
The Nile crocodile is the second largest crocodilian and living reptile. It can weigh up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) and grow as long as 20 feet (6 meters).
Very fat Nile crocodile basking in the sun by Steve Slater
Nile crocodiles can be found throughout Africa, where they are the most common crocodilian species. They are found in rivers, lakes and marshes, and in Madagascar, have even adapted to living in caves.
Nile crocodiles are social creatures. They share a common basking spot and sometimes hunt collectively.
Nile crocodiles, Manica Province, Mozambique by Ton Rulkens
Unlike most crocodilians, Nile crocodiles bury their eggs in the sand. The female guards them fiercely, with her mate also standing on sentry duty nearby.
Nile crocodiles catch most of their prey by ambushing them at the water’s edge, launching out of the water and trapping the unsuspecting animal, who is likely busy drinking, between their jaws. Birds, monkeys, turtles, wildebeest, zebras and gazelles are often taken.
Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) in Gulu, Uganda by Tim Muttoo
American Crocodile
The American crocodile (not to be confused with the better-known American alligator) can be found in Florida, southern Mexico and South America. Like saltwater crocodiles, they prefer salt in their water and are often seen in coastal swamps and lagoons.
American crocodile, taken at La Manzanilla, Jalisco, Mexico by Tomascastelazo
American crocodiles feed mostly on fish, especially bass and mullet. They also eat crabs, snails, turtles and birds, but will occasionally go after fully-grown cattle. They are especially active hunters during moonless nights.
Cuban Crocodile
The Cuban crocodile is a Critically Endangered crocodile species found in only two locations in Cuba. It is relatively small at just eleven feet (three meters) long at most, but can be very aggressive.
Cuban crocodile by Gerry Zambonini
Cuban crocodiles spend more time on land than any other crocodile species. Interestingly, they also hunt in packs, taking down large prey such as giant sloths.
Desert or Dwarf Crocodile
Dwarf or desert crocodiles have been discovered at the southern edge of the Sahara desert. They are believed to be Nile crocodiles that have adapted over the years to desert life.
Desert crocodiles are much smaller than traditional Nile crocodiles. The lack of food means they grow more slowly and reach just 25% of the size of their counterparts outside the desert. It is the smallest living crocodile species in the world, at only 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and 71 pounds (32 kilograms) in weight.
West African Dwarf Crocodile, London Aquarium by Suvodeb Banerjee
Because of its small size, the desert crocodile needs more protection. It has evolved to have a more heavily-armored neck, back and tail, and even has bony plates on its belly and under its neck.
While there are no permanent sources of water for the desert crocodiles, there are gueltas, which are pools of water formed from rain or even underground springs in rock formations. A guelta provides the desert crocodile with moisture and a more natural hunting habitat – other animals will come to the guelta to drink and the crocodile can ambush them from inside the water, just like a traditional crocodile.
West African Dwarf Crocodile by Phil Simonson
Once the water evaporates from the guelta, the desert crocodile survives through a process known as estivation. This is a state in which animals go dormant, similar to hibernation, where they become inactive, lowering their metabolic rate. This allows them to use less moisture and energy through the dry spells.
All crocodiles are able to estivate, but the desert crocodile can do it for much longer and in much dryer conditions than is usually seen in crocodiles.
Lesser-known Crocodiles
The freshwater crocodile can be found only in Australia. It is relatively small and shy, attacking humans only when it is cornered.
The Morelet’s crocodile is also known as the Mexican crocodile, and can be found in Mexico and parts of South America.
Morelet’s Crocodile hatchling by David Jones
The mugger crocodile has the broadest snout of any crocodile, making it look almost like an alligator. They can be found in and around India, where they sometimes meet saltwater crocodiles, though they try and avoid their much larger cousins.
The Orinoco crocodile is one of the rarest crocodiles in the world today, with only 547 remaining in South America. It is the largest of the crocodiles in the Americas, growing up to 17 feet (5 meters) long.
The Philippine crocodile is another critically endangered crocodile species, with only about 250 remaining. It is golden brown and can be found only in the Philippines.
Philippine crocodile by Brian Gratwicke
The false gharial, or tomistoma, is currently classified as a crocodilian belonging to the crocodile family. However, some scientists argue that it should be in the gavial family. Like the gharial, it has a thin, long snout but has a more varied diet, preying not just on fish but also on monkeys, deer and bats.
American Alligator
The American alligator is the larger of the two existing alligator species. It can grow up to 15 feet (5 meters) long and weigh as much as 999 pounds (453 kilograms)!
Although American alligators are often gray or black, albino or pure white American alligators have been seen. They are very rare, and can survive only in captivity where they are kept in caves, away from the sun’s heat that can easily damage their skin.
Albino American Alligator by John Regan
American alligators hunt both on land and in water. They eat birds, deer, boars, turtles, snakes, rats and raccoons.
The American alligator is the official state reptile of three states in the United States of America – Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. In these states, alligator farming is also common, where alligator hides and meat are continually produced.
Come closer, my dear by Bradley Buhro
Chinese Alligator
The Chinese alligator is the rarer alligator species, found only in eastern China. It is Critically Endangered, mainly because it has been hunted down by farmers who consider it a pest, and because its meat and organs are used as traditional medicine.
Chinese Alligator at the Cincinnati Zoo by Greg Hume
The Chinese alligator is one of the least aggressive of the crocodilians, and yet unlike the American alligator and most other crocodilians, the Chinese alligator has an armored belly.
During mating season the usually solitary Chinese alligators bellow loudly to each other. When grouped together they all begin bellowing at the same time and finish after about ten minutes, again, all at the same time. Scientists are unsure why this happens, but think it may just be a way to get fellow alligators together.
Gharial
The gharial, or gavial, is currently the only recognized species of crocodilian in the gavial family. It has the thinnest snout of all crocodilians, which it uses to catch and eat mainly fish.
Of all crocodilians, only male and female gharials can be easily told apart. Male gharials have a strange knob of flesh at the end of their snouts, which allows them to give off louder sounds, particularly hisses, to ward others off their territory.
Gharial in San Diego Zoo by Bo Link
Unlike other crocodilians, gharials have webbed front and back feet and a flattened tail, both of which are adaptations to living in the water. They are so well-adapted to living in water, in fact, that they can’t walk, on land. They can only slide on their bellies.
Gharials can grow to great lengths. The longest recorded gharial was measured at 23 feet (7 meters) long and another one measured 21 feet (6 meters), although gharials over twenty feet long are rare.
Of all the crocodilians, gharials are the least likely to attack humans. Gharial have been found with pieces of jewelry in their stomachs, but it is believed that they may have found them in the water and swallowed them to aid digestion, in the same way that some crocodilians eat pebbles.
Baby gharial in Kukrail Reserve Forest, Lucknow, India by Snehil3
The gharial is currently listed as a Critically Endangered species, with its population having declined by up to 98% in the past fifty years. This decline is attributed to hunting for their hides, egg collection, loss of habitat and killing by fishermen who fear for their catch.
Caiman Species
Caimans are part of the alligator family, cousins to the alligators. They are relatively small crocodilians, growing only as long as 16 feet (5 meters) at most.
The black caiman is the largest caiman and the largest member of the alligator family. It can grow up to 16 feet (5 meters) long and weigh up to 880 pounds (400 kilograms).
Black Caiman, Amazonas, Brazil by Whaldener Endo
The black caiman is the largest predator in the Amazon basin. They feed on piranhas and catfish, as well as on turtles, capybaras, deer, tapirs, giant otters and snakes, including young anacondas!
Compared to other caimans, the black caiman has very large, brown eyes. Unfortunately, blood-sucking flies like to gather around these eyes, making black caiman eyes appear bloodshot.
The broad-snouted caiman prefers still waters and is often found in human-made cow ponds. Their broad snout is an adaptation for ripping through the thick rows of plants in the marshes, some of which they end up swallowing when looking for food.
Interestingly, female broad-snouted caimans lay eggs in two layers, each layer with a different temperature. They do this because they do not have sex chromosomes – the cells that determine the sex of the hatchlings – but instead rely on temperature to determine the sex of their offspring. With two layers, there is a bigger chance that they will have an even number of male and female offspring.
The Cuvier’s dwarf caiman is the smallest caiman and the smallest of all crocodilians. It can only grow 5.6 feet (2 meters) long at most, with females averaging only three feet (one meter) long. Apart from its size, it is known for its dome-shaped skull and its upturned snout, which resembles a dog’s nose.
Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman in Paignton Zoo, Devon, UK by Nilfanion
The smooth-fronted caiman is the second-smallest crocodilian. It is one of the most heavily-armored crocodilians, with sharp triangular scutes on the back of its tail and neck and bony projections on its tail. Its tail is so heavily armored, in fact, that it is difficult to move.
Female smooth-fronted caimans lay their eggs on the side of termite mounds, with the termites helping to keep the temperature of the eggs consistent. Some of the eggs end up getting buried inside the termite mound, so the female has to scoop the eggs out from the dirt with her mouth when they are about to hatch.
The spectacled caiman, or common caiman, is also a widely distributed crocodilian, found all over Central and South America. It gets its name from the bony ridge between its eyes, which makes it look like it is wearing a pair of spectacles.
Spectacled Caiman by TimVickers
Spectacled caimans are known to change color. They are lighter during warm weather and turn darker during cold weather.
Female spectacled caimans often nest in one area. Once the eggs have hatched, they take turns and help each other protect the young for up to four months. During this time, they are very aggressive.
The Yacare caiman can be found in various parts of Central America but most of them, about ten million, can be found in the Brazilian Pantanal, which is the largest single population of crocodilians in the world. It is relatively small, rarely exceeding nine feet (three meters) long, and as such, falls prey to anacondas and jaguars.
Attacks on Humans
There are no clear numbers on how many humans have been attacked by crocodilians, but this has happened on various occasions. Of all the crocodilian species, eight are reported to have attacked humans at least once. These include the saltwater crocodile, the Nile crocodile, the American alligator, the black caiman, the Morelet’s crocodile, the mugger crocodile, the American crocodile and the freshwater crocodile.
There are an estimated 300 attacks on humans by Nile crocodiles every year, of which 63% are fatal. This makes the Nile crocodile the most deadly of all the crocodilian species. In fact, it attacks more humans each year than all of the other crocodilian species combined.
Between 1948 and 2004, American alligators were responsible for 242 unprovoked human attacks. Alligators are known to be less aggressive than crocodiles. However, the increase of human population in areas inhabited by American alligators has led to a greater chance of attacks.
The three most common reasons for crocodilian attacks are: self-defense, by accident when attacking other animals, or for food. The third is believed to be the usual reason behind Nile crocodile attacks, making it a particularly dangerous animal.
Crocodile feeding by Yun Huang Yong
The highest number of deaths from a single crocodile attack incident is believed to have occurred on February 19, 1945, when 900 soldiers of the Japanese army crossed through ten miles of saltwater crocodile-infested swamps to join a larger battalion. Only twenty of them were captured alive by the British, while 500 were believed to have escaped. As for the remaining 400 or so, they might have been eaten by the crocodiles, although no evidence of this has ever been presented.
Gustave, a Nile crocodile, is famous for having killed over 300 humans alone. It lives on the banks of the Ruzizi River and Lake Tanganyika in Africa, and at the time of writing has still not been captured.
Only crocodiles longer than six feet (two meters) have been known to attack humans. The youngest known victim was a five-year-old and the oldest was fifty.
Final Facts
Crocodilians are the noisiest of all reptiles. They can make hisses, grunts and chirps, and can even roar!
Apart from making various sounds, crocodilians communicate by headslapping. A headslap occurs when a crocodilian opens and shuts its jaw sharply then submerges its head in the water with a loud splash, after which it produces a lot of bubbles. Crocodilians usually do this when they are angry or want to assert dominance.
Crocodilians actually shed tears. They do this to keep their eyes clean and also when eating – not because they feel sorry for their prey. Rather, the tears come out as a result of the air in their sinuses mixing with their tear glands.
Sometimes, when crocodiles are resting on riverbanks, they leave their mouths open. This is not a sign of aggression, but merely a way of cooling off.
Crocodile mouth wide open, Chennai, India by Sunil Soundarapandian
Video Page
If the gadget you are reading on allows it, you can watch videos and discover more about some of the crocodilians in the book at the following webpages:
ipfactly.com/saltwater-crocodiles/
ipfactly.com/american-alligators/
ipfactly.com/spectacled-caiman/
Photo Credits
Front Cover 01 American Alligator by Matt Tillett cc2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattyfioner/2269333121/
02 Life reconstruction of the rauisuchian Batrachotomus kupferzellensis by Dmitry Bogdanov cc3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Batrachotomus1DB.jpg
03 American alligator, Pearl River State Wildlife Management Area, Louisiana by dhobern cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhobern/6246688141/
04 Crocodile by Francesco cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceodissey/3111736390/
05 All Eyes On You by Paul Mason cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpmason/3844707756/
06 High walk of the American alligator by South Florida Water Management District cc2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaxstrong/8456923892/
07 American Alligator at Everglades by Gopal Venkatesan cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/gopalarathnam_v/6524369493/
08 Crocodile basking in the sun by Damien Williams cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dami3nator/3631100793/
09 Nile crocodile lunging at a leaping wildebeest youngster by Lip Kee cc2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/lipkee/2881752455/in/photostream/
09b Jaws of death by MyBiggestFan cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/msciba/922556164/
10 Eggs of the Nile crocodile by Kevin Walsh cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/86624586@N00/11313157
11 Newly hatched Crocodile baby by 3D Photographers cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/3d-photographers/3025507796/
12 Baby North American Alligator by johnrbeckett cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckett/322650444/
13 Baby gator eating a tadpole by Craig O’Neal cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigoneal/3735873037/
14 Saltwater Crocodile on Adelaide River, Australia cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/1234abcd/4979139630/
15 Big crocodile in Oz by fvanrenterghem cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/fvanrenterghem/2641634391/
16 Saltwater Crocodile by thinboyfatter cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/1234abcd/4979133206/
17 Very fat nile crocodile basking in the sun by Steve Slater cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildlife_encounters/8023931254/
18 Nile crocodiles, Manica Province, Mozambique by Ton Rulkens cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/47108884@N07/10314143714/
19 Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) in Gulu, Uganda by Tim Muttoo cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/26781164@N00/416793076/
20 American crocodile, taken at La Manzanilla, Jalisco, Mexico by Tomascastelazo cc3.0 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crocodylus_acutus_mexico_08.jpg
21 Cuban crocodile by Gerry Zambonini cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/zambog/5477080551/
22 West African Dwarf Crocodile, London Aquarium by Suvodeb Banerjee cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/suvodeb/4675683486/
23 West African Dwarf Crocodile by Phil Simonson cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalfauxtographer/6817062480/
24 Morelet’s Crocodile hatchling by David Jones cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidcjones/6363293417/
25 Philippine crocodile by Brian Gratwicke cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/briangratwicke/5110313523/
26 Albino Alligator by John Regan cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jprjr/7876865332/
27 Come closer, my dear by Bradley Buhro cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/pastorbuhro/5613472601/
28 Chinese Alligator at the Cincinnati Zoo by Greg Hume cc3.0 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ChineseAlligator.jpg
29 Gharial in San Diego Zoo by Bo Link cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/49559179@N00/89764995/
30 Baby gharial in Kukrail Reserve Forest, Lucknow, India by Snehil3 cc3.0 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baby_Gharial.jpg
31 Black Caiman at Uacari Sustainable Development Reserve, Amazonas, Brazil by Whaldener Endo cc3.0 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Melanosuchus_niger_RDS_Uacari.jpg
32 Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) in Paignton Zoo, Devon, UK by Nilfanion cc3.0 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dwarf_Caiman_in_Paignton_Zoo.jpg
33 Spectacled Caiman by TimVickers http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caiman_crocodilus_pair.jpg
34 Obligatory crocodile feeding shot by Yun Huang Yong cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/goosmurf/4693035560/
35 Crocodile mouth wide open, Chennai, India by Sunil Soundarapandian cc2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunil_soundarapandian/7843965510/