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Nile Crocodile The Nile
Crocodile can grow to be five meters long. They
have long snouts that can grab fish and turtles.
They are dark olive in color, and young ones have
bands around their body. But as they get older, the
bands fade. They are the most intelligent reptiles
on the earth. Nile
Crocodiles live in freshwater swamps, rivers,
lakes, and other watery places. They dig dens to
hide in from hot weather or danger. They are only
found in Africa and Madagascar. The female Nile Crocodile mates around November through December. They dig a hole about 1 1/2 feet deep to lay their eggs in, a few feet from the water. They lay 40-60 eggs. The female protects the nest from danger at all times. It takes about 80-90 days for the eggs to hatch. The mother keeps the hatchlings safe by holding them in her mouth. Nile Crocodiles are sneaky, and get their food easily. When they sneak up on drinking animals, only their eyes and nose show. The rest of their body is hidden underwater. They are also camouflage in the water, so they are almost impossible to see. The Nile Crocodile is not endangered. They are almost invincible, and are not prey to any other animal, except humans. Allison F. 2000.
bibliography: "Crocodiles Natural History and Conservation.", http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/brittoncrocs/csp_cnil.htm, (June 2000). |
