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A crocodile is a large amphibious reptile. It lives mostly in large rivers, where it is an ambush predator. One species, the Australian saltwater crocodile, or saltie, also travels in coastal saltwater. In very dry climates, crocodiles may sleep until the dry season ends.
See the fact file below for more information on Crocodile or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Crocodile worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
QUICK CROC FACTS
- Crocodiles are large reptiles that can be found in the tropics of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia. They are semiaquatic, which means they live in the water and on land.
- Crocodiles come from the order Crocodilia, which includes alligators and caimans, and are in the family Crocodylidae.
- There are fourteen species of crocodile.
- Because they are reptiles, they are cold-blooded and lay eggs. They rely on the sun to warm up their bodies.
- Crocodiles are carnivores, meaning they hunt prey and eat meat. Their preferred method of hunting is an ambush.
- Crocodiles are as old as the dinosaurs. They emerged around 55 million years ago. They can live up to 70 years old.
FEATURES OF A CROCODILE
- Since crocodiles are semiaquatic, they’ve evolved to be able to move on land and in the water.
- Crocodiles are streamlined so that they can swim in the water easily. They have a long and strong tail that propels them in the water. They tuck their feet next to their body when they swim.
- Their feet are webbed and help them to make fast turns in the water. Crocodiles have a claw on each toe. They use their feet and legs to walk around on land.
- A crocodile is an excellent swimmer but slow on land.
- Because crocodiles spend a lot of time in the water and are ambush predators, their eyes and nostrils are on the top of their head so the rest of their body is hidden under the water. They can close their nostrils when they go underwater.
- A crocodile has tough scaly skin. It is smooth and light-colored on their bellies and rough, dark-colored skin on their backs that is used as armor.
- Crocodiles breathe air and need to come up to the surface to breathe. They can hold their breath for more than an hour at a time.
- Crocodiles range in size, depending on their species. The largest crocodile is the saltwater crocodile from Australia which can reach lengths of 3.5 to 6 m (11 ft 6 in. to 19 ft 8 in.) and weigh 1,000–1,300 kg (2,200–2,900 lb). By contrast, the smallest crocodile is the dwarf crocodile from Africa, which is 1.5 to 1.9 m (4.9 – 6.2 ft) and weighs between 40 – 80 kg (88 – 180 lb).
- Despite their size, crocodiles have pretty small brains. They’re only about the size of a walnut!
- Crocodiles have around 80 teeth in their jaws at any time. When a tooth falls out, it is replaced with another one.
SENSES OF A CROCODILE
- As predators, crocodiles have sharp senses.
- Crocodiles can see well at night and are mostly nocturnal hunters. It is believed that crocodiles can see color. Their eyes have a characteristic vertical slit-shaped pupil and they have a third eyelid to protect the eye while keeping their primary eyelids open.
- Crocodiles have a good sense of smell to help them find dead and decaying animals that they can scavenge. They also use their noses to sense pheromones and hormones of other crocodiles.
- A crocodile can hear well.
- Even though the skin of a crocodile is thick and tough, they can still feel touch on their skin.
CROCODILE HABITAT
- Crocodiles live in rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands of tropical environments. Some crocodiles also live in brackish or salty water.
- They can be found in countries like those of central Africa, India, the northern part of Australia, Madagascar, countries in Central America, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
- Many crocodiles are threatened because of habitat destruction and conflict with humans who also need to use the water systems.
DIET
- Crocodiles are a type of hunter called ambush predators. This means they lie in wait for a long time before unsuspecting prey comes in close reach.
- When crocodiles are small, they’ll eat prey like small fish, lizards, tadpoles, mice, and birds. As they get larger, so they can hunt larger prey. The Nile crocodile can successfully hunt large animals like wildebeest and zebra.
- Some crocodiles will even eat their own kind if they’re smaller than them.
- Some species of crocodile, like the slender-snouted crocodile, eat only fish.
- All crocodiles have very strong jaws and bites – the strongest of all animals. On a large Nile crocodile, this can be over 3,700 lbs of force. They leap and grab onto their prey using their many teeth and hold on tight. They will drown larger prey to kill it.
- Even though they have lots of teeth, they’re not serrated like a shark and so they need to twist and turn to rip off pieces of meat to eat.
- They do not chew their food. Instead, they swallow large chunks whole and powerful stomach acid helps break it down.
- As crocodiles are cold-blooded, their metabolism is very slow. This means that after they’ve eaten, they can go for a very long time before they need to hunt again. Some crocs can go for many months without eating.
- Crocodiles can attack very quickly, but the rest of the time they are very slow. They will also aggressively chase away competitors when they scavenge on a carcass.
CROCODILE REPRODUCTION
- Crocodiles reproduce by laying eggs either in a hole in the ground or in mounds of plant matter. They rely on the heat of rotting plants or sun warming the ground to keep the eggs at the right temperature.
- Female crocodiles generally lay their eggs at night. The number of eggs can range from less than 10 to up to 95 eggs.
- The temperature of the nest will determine whether the babies that hatch are male or female.
- The eggs will hatch after around 80 days. Some species hatch after 65 days, while others take up to 95 days.
- The eggs of a crocodile are leathery and not brittle like a bird’s egg. Baby crocodiles will tear it open with a sharp “tooth” on their nose.
- Baby crocodiles will call to their mother with chirps and squeaks. She will gather them in her mouth gently and take them to the water.
- The mother croc will look after her young for up to a year. Even with this protection, only a few will survive to adulthood as they will be eaten by birds, fish, and other crocodiles.
CROCODILES AND HUMANS
- Crocodiles are dangerous predators and kill many people each year. This almost always happens when humans approach water for washing clothes, fetching water, or bathing.
- The most dangerous crocodiles are the Nile crocodile and the saltwater crocodile because of their size.
- Crocodile skin is popular in fashion and they are farmed for their leather. Crocodile leather is used for shoes, belts, handbags and wallets.
- Crocodile meat is considered a delicacy by some cultures in the far east.
- Crocodiles are protected species in many parts of the world.
- In Ancient Egypt, the god Sobek had a crocodile head.
- The Sakalava and Antandroy people of Madagascar believe that the crocodile houses the spirits of their ancestors and so give the animals food.
- Crocodiles can even be found in Hinduism where Varuna rides a sea creature that is part crocodile.
- In Western culture, crocodiles are viewed with more suspicion. The phrase “crying crocodile tears” suggests that a person is being insincere and crying fake tears. This comes from an old tale that a crocodile will cry fake tears to lure in their prey. Crocodiles cannot actually cry.
Crocodile Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Crocodile across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about the Crocodile is a large amphibious reptile. It lives mostly in large rivers, where it is an ambush predator.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Crocodile Facts
- Quick Quiz
- Croc Giants – Prehistoric Giants
- Modern Giants – News Article
- Ambush Word Find
- Get to Know Crocs – How It Works
- Big Croc Family
- Croc Tales
- Croc Puzzles
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Link will appear as Crocodile Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 17, 2022
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.