Among the most dangerous predators in the world, one of the first places are crocodiles (Latin name - Crocodilia) - the only surviving heirs of dinosaurs, which belong to the order of aquatic vertebrates. Average length an adult individual is from 2 to 5.5 meters, and the mass of a crocodile can reach 550-600 kilograms.

External structure of a crocodile

The structural features of crocodiles, both internal and external, help them survive in incredible conditions. It is interesting that, despite the long process of evolution, these reptiles retained almost all the features of their ancestors, in particular crocodile body, adapted to aquatic habitat:

Few people know that the body of a crocodile can have different colors, although, as a rule, the color of a crocodile is greenish-brown. Top part skin consists of rows of extremely strong and tightly connected horny plates that grow along with the individual itself, so that they do not shed. The color of crocodile skin can vary depending on external factors, or rather temperature environment. These animals are cold-blooded, therefore normal temperature The crocodile's body angle varies between 30 and 35 degrees.

Crocodile teeth

Representatives of this species are often confused with alligators, although in reality they have a number of differences, the main of which is the location and structure of the dentition. For example, if the jaws of a crocodile are closed, you can see the 4th tooth from the bottom, whereas in an alligator they are all closed. Total number A crocodile has 64 to 70 teeth, depending on the variety, and they have the same conical shape and a hollow inner surface where new incisors develop. On average, each crocodile's fang is replaced once every two years, and over the course of a lifetime there can be up to 45-50 such updates. In turn, the crocodile’s tongue is completely fused to the lower jaw, so some generally think that reptiles do not have this organ.

Despite the fact that the crocodile's mouth looks very scary, in fact its teeth are not designed for chewing food, so it swallows its prey in large pieces. Digestive system crocodile has a number of specific features, for example, the stomach has very thick walls, and to improve digestion it contains stones (gastroliths). Their additional function is to change the center of gravity to improve swimming performance.

Features of the internal structure of crocodiles

Generally, internal structure the crocodile is similar in structure to other reptiles, but there are some unusual features. For example, the skeleton of a crocodile is very similar to the structure characteristic of dinosaurs: two temporal arches, a diapsid skull, etc. The most vertebrae are found in the tail (up to 37), while in the cervical region and trunk there are only 9 and 17, respectively. For additional protection, there are ribs in the abdominal part that are not connected to the spine.

The crocodile's respiratory system is designed in such a way that the animal feels comfortable both on land and under water. The crocodile's respiratory organs are represented by the choanae (nostrils), the nasopharyngeal passage with a secondary bony palate, the palatine curtain, the trachea and the lungs with the diaphragm. The very powerful and complex lungs of a crocodile are capable of holding a large volume of air, while the animal can, if necessary, adjust its center of gravity. To prevent the crocodile's breathing from interfering with its ability to move quickly, there are special muscles in the diaphragm area.

Unique in its own way circulatory system crocodile, which is much more perfect than that of other reptiles. Thus, the crocodile’s heart is four-chambered (2 atria and 2 ventricles), and a special mechanism for mixing blood from arteries and veins makes it possible to regulate the blood supply process. If you need to speed up the digestion process, the structure of the crocodile’s heart allows you to change arterial blood to venous blood, which is more saturated with carbon dioxide and promotes the production of additional gastric juice. It should also be noted that crocodile blood has a high content of antibiotics, and hemoglobin is saturated with oxygen and works independently of red blood cells.

How smart are crocodiles?

And so... We will all talk about crocodiles, but not alligators, because you can’t call an alligator smart. This character trait is what mainly distinguishes them from crocodiles.

Crocodiles' brains have a cortex. But no other reptile has bark. This makes it the smartest reptile on the planet. Everyone thinks that crocodiles are very stupid, and some people think that they are completely dumb! And this is just because their brain weighs 8 grams, which is 0.5% of own weight, and their brains are the size of Walnut. However, these people are deeply mistaken. If the brain is small, it is far from a fact that the animal is stupid. Some scientists suggest that crocodiles can communicate with every whisper they make! Also, crocodiles, such as even the Nile crocodile, can already be considered to be smarter than any land mammals except for the monkeys.

The most intelligent of crocodiles is the Cuban crocodile. But despite this, even a crocodile that is several times stupider than the Cuban crocodile - the saltwater crocodile - is already capable of studying time. For example, crocodiles have learned when people go to bed. And crocodiles have already experienced attacks as people slept more than once! Also, crocodiles have long forgotten the time when their prey is most vulnerable, and at that time they sometimes attack it. This is how crocodiles even chose over hundreds of millions of years the ideal method for attack, which crocodiles use even now! So, if you are one of the people who thought that crocodiles were stupid, you probably already realized how wrong you were. And by the way, only When combed crocodiles catch fish, they do not eat them until the end. When, for example, they have eaten half of the fish and haven’t eaten any more, the crocodiles then take a branch into their mouths, prick the fish with the branch and throw it on their backs. After which they swim with their backs sticking out, and the birds that “clean” the crocodiles’ teeth sit on its back and peck the fish. In addition, crocodiles often use their intelligence in fights with big cats, and do not leave big cats chances even on land. Only cats larger than a crocodile can kill it on land.

According to the intelligence rating, crocodiles rank fourth after humans, killer whales, dolphins and monkeys. The brain of crocodiles with a very unexpected mental development that surpasses almost all land animals!

The skull of crocodiles is elongated and consists of 30 interconnected bones. All crocodiles have a long, flattened skull, varying in shape and size depending on the species. The teeth on the upper and lower jaws have open roots and are held in special recesses with the help of connective tissue. The joints of the upper and lower jaws are located at the very back end of the skull, which allows crocodiles to open their mouths wide. The muscles that open the jaws—the constrictor mandible and the sternomaxillary muscle—are rather poorly developed, making it relatively easy to keep a crocodile’s mouth closed. The muscles that close the jaws - the temporal and pterygoid internal and external - on the contrary, are very strong and close the jaws with great pressure. In adult animals, attempts to open the mouth can therefore be dangerous. Even within 24 hours after the death of the crocodile, when the mouth is opened, the temporalis and pterygoid muscles are stimulated, and the jaws slam shut with tremendous force.
The spine of crocodiles has 60-70 vertebrae: 8-9 cervical, 10-11 thoracic, 4-5 lumbar, 32-42 caudal and 2-3 sacral. There are no clear differences between the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, so their number is determined approximately. In crocodiles it has 8 pairs of true and 8 pairs of ventral ribs - cutaneous bones in the abdominal wall, lying on top of the rectus abdominis muscle. The so-called sacral ribs are large bones that are connected by joints to the transverse processes of the sacral vertebrae. There is no consensus among experts whether they are true ribs or thickened transverse processes. They are not fused to the spine, and for this reason they are commonly called ribs. The pelvic girdle consists of the short ilium, wide pubis and short wide ischium. The fore and hind limbs of crocodiles are morphologically similar to the limbs of mammals and are attached to the limb girdles in a similar way. The femur is longer than the humerus, causing the back of the body to be higher than the front. The forelimbs have five fingers, the inner three of which are equipped with claws. The hind limbs have four webbed toes, the inner three of which also have claws.

Crocodile animal reptile, part of the order of aquatic vertebrates. These animals appeared on Earth more than 200 million years ago.

The first individuals first lived on land and only later mastered aquatic environment. The closest relatives of crocodiles are considered.

Features and habitat of the crocodile

Life in water has formed the corresponding body of a reptile: the body of crocodiles is long, almost flat, with a flat long head, a powerful tail, short paws with toes connected by membranes.

Crocodile is a cold-blooded animal, his body temperature is about 30 degrees, sometimes it can reach 34 degrees, it depends on the ambient temperature. Animal world crocodiles very diverse, but the species differ only body length, there are reptiles up to 6 meters, but most are 2-4 m.

The largest saltwater crocodiles weigh more than a ton and have a length of up to 6.5 m, they are found in the Philippines. The smallest land crocodiles, 1.5-2 m, live in Africa. Under water, the crocodile's ears and nostrils close with valves, transparent eyelids fall over the eyes, thanks to them the animal sees well even in muddy water.

The mouth of crocodiles does not have lips, so it does not close tightly. To prevent water from entering the stomach, the entrance to the esophagus is blocked by the velum palatine. The crocodile's eyes are located high on the head, so only the eyes and nostrils are visible above the surface of the water. The brown-green color of the crocodile camouflages it well in the water.

Green tint prevails if the ambient temperature is elevated. The animal's skin consists of durable horny plates that protect well internal organs.

Crocodiles, unlike other reptiles, do not shed; their skin constantly grows and renews itself. Thanks to its elongated body, the animal maneuvers well and moves quickly in the water, while using its powerful tail as a rudder.

Crocodiles live in fresh waters of the tropics. Eat species of crocodiles, well adapted to salt water, they are found in coastal strip seas - these are combed, Nile, African narrow-snouted crocodiles.

Character and lifestyle of a crocodile

Crocodiles are almost constantly in the water. They crawl ashore in the morning and evening to warm their horny plates in the sun. When the sun is hot, the animal opens its mouth wide, thus cooling the body.

Birds, attracted by leftover food, can freely enter the mouth at this time to eat. And although crocodile predator, wild animal he never tries to grab them.

Crocodiles mainly live in fresh waters, in hot weather, when the reservoir dries out, they can dig a hole at the bottom of the remaining puddle and hibernate. During drought, reptiles can crawl into caves in search of water. If hungry, crocodiles are able to eat their relatives.

On land, animals are very clumsy and clumsy, but in water they move easily and gracefully. If necessary, they can move to other bodies of water by land, covering several kilometers.

Nutrition

Crocodiles hunt mainly at night, but if prey is available during the day, the animal will not refuse to feast on it. Receptors located on the jaws help reptiles detect potential prey even at a very long distance.

The main food of crocodiles is fish, as well as small animals. The choice of food depends on the size and age of the crocodile: young individuals prefer invertebrates, fish, amphibians, adults prefer small mammals, reptiles and birds.

Very large crocodiles can easily handle victims larger than themselves. So Nile crocodiles hunted during their migration; the saltwater crocodile hunts livestock during the rains; Madagascar can even eat.

Reptiles do not chew food; they tear it into pieces with their teeth and swallow them whole. They can leave prey that is too large at the bottom to soak. Stones swallowed by animals help in digesting food; they crush it in the stomach. Stones can be of impressive size: a Nile crocodile can swallow a stone up to 5 kg.

Crocodiles do not eat carrion unless they are very weak and unable to hunt; they do not touch rotten food at all. Reptiles eat quite a lot: they can consume about a quarter of their weight in food at a time. About 60% of the food consumed turns into fat, so the crocodile can fast for up to one year if necessary.

Reproduction and lifespan

The crocodile is one of the long-lived animals, he lives from 55 to 115 years. Puberty It occurs early, at about the age of 7 - 11 years. Crocodiles are polygamous animals: a male has 10 - 12 females in his harem.

Although the animals live in water, they lay eggs on land. At night, the female digs a hole in the sand and lays about 50 eggs there, covering them with leaves or sand. The size of the depression depends on the illumination of the place: in the sun the hole becomes deeper, in the shade it is not very deep.

The eggs mature for about three months, during which time the female remains close to the clutch, practically not feeding. The sex of future crocodiles depends on the environmental temperature: females appear at 28-30° C, males at temperatures above 32° C.

Before they are born, the babies inside the eggs begin to grunt. The mother, hearing the sounds, begins to dig out the masonry. Then he helps the babies free themselves from the shell by rolling the eggs in their mouths.

The female carefully transfers the emerging crocodiles, measuring 26-28 cm, into a shallow body of water, capturing them in her mouth. There they grow for two months, after which they disperse to the surrounding, not heavily populated, reservoirs. Many small reptiles die, they become victims of birds, monitor lizards and other predators.

Surviving crocodiles first feed on insects, then hunt small fish and, from 8-10– summer age They begin to catch larger animals.

Not everyone is a danger to humans species of crocodiles. So the Nile crocodile and the saltwater crocodile are cannibals, but the gharial is not at all dangerous. Crocodile as a pet Today they are even kept in city apartments.

In their habitats, crocodiles are hunted, their meat is eaten, and their skin is used to create haberdashery, which has led to a decline in the crocodile population. In some countries today they are bred on farms; in many tribes they are considered crocodile sacred animal.

The crocodile is a semi-aquatic vertebrate wild animal, belongs to the phylum chordata, class reptiles, order crocodiles (lat. Crocodilia).

Yours Russian name The predator got its name from the Greek word “crocodilos,” which literally means “pebble worm.” Most likely, this is what the Greeks called the reptile, whose lumpy skin looks like a pebble, and whose long body and characteristic body movements resemble a worm.

IN sea ​​water The crocodile feeds on fish, saw-nosed stingrays and even stingrays, including white stingrays, the size of which is not inferior to, and often exceeds in length, the attacking crocodile. The menu consisting of mammals is especially varied. A successful hunt brings a crocodile for dinner, a monitor lizard, a wild boar, a buffalo or.

Often the prey of a crocodile becomes, and. Crocodiles also eat monkeys, raccoons, martens, etc. If given the opportunity to have a snack, they will not hesitate to attack any domestic animals, be it cattle or cattle. Some crocodiles eat each other, that is, they do not hesitate to attack their own kind.

How does a crocodile hunt?

Crocodiles spend most of the day in the water, and hunt only after dark. The reptile swallows small prey whole. In a duel with a large prey, the crocodile's weapon is brute force. Large land animals, such as deer and buffalo, are guarded by a crocodile at a watering hole, attacked suddenly and dragged into the water, where the victim is unable to resist. Large fish, on the contrary, are dragged into shallow water, where it is easier to deal with prey.

The massive jaws of a crocodile easily crush a buffalo’s skull, and strong jerks of the head and a special “deadly rotation” technique instantly tear the prey apart. Crocodiles do not know how to chew, therefore, having killed the victim, they twist out pieces of suitable flesh with their powerful jaws and swallow them whole. Crocodiles eat quite a lot: one lunch can account for up to 23% of the mass of the predator itself. Often crocodiles hide part of the prey, but the supply does not always remain intact, and is often consumed by other predators.

• The crocodile belongs to the crocodile family, the alligator belongs to the alligator family. Moreover, both reptiles belong to the order crocodiles.
• The main difference between a crocodile and an alligator is the structure of the jaw and the arrangement of the teeth. When the crocodile's mouth is closed, one or a pair of teeth on the lower jaw always stick out, while the alligator's upper jaw is completely covered by a predatory grin.

• Also, the difference between a crocodile and an alligator lies in the structure of the muzzle. The crocodile's muzzle is pointed and shaped English letter V, the alligator's muzzle is blunt and more like the letter U.

• Crocodiles have salt glands in the tongue and lacrimal glands in the eyes to remove excess salts from the body, so they can live in the sea. Alligators do not have such glands, so they mainly live in fresh water bodies.
• If you compare the size of a crocodile and an alligator, it is difficult to say which reptile is larger. The average length of an alligator does not exceed the average length of a crocodile. But if we compare the largest individuals, the American (Mississippi) alligator has maximum length body no more than 4.5 meters (according to unofficial data, the only maximum recorded length of one individual was 5.8 meters). And the world's largest saltwater crocodile, with an average body length of 5.2 meters, can grow up to 7 meters in length.
• Average weight The Mississippi alligator (it is larger than the Chinese one) is 200 kg, while the maximum recorded weight reached 626 kg. The average weight of a crocodile depends on the species. Yet some species of crocodiles weigh much more than alligators. For example, the weight of a sharp-snouted crocodile reaches 1 ton, and the world's largest saltwater crocodile weighs about 2 tons.

What is the difference between a crocodile and a gharial?

• Both the crocodile and the gharial belong to the order Crocodiles. But the crocodile is part of the crocodile family, and the gharial belongs to the gharial family.
• The crocodile has salt glands located on the tongue and special lacrimal glands in the eye area: through them, excess salts are removed from the crocodile's body. This factor allows the crocodile to live in salty sea water. The gharial does not possess such glands, therefore it is a resident of absolutely fresh water bodies.
• It is easy to distinguish a crocodile from a gharial by the shape of its jaws: the gharial has rather narrow jaws, which is justified by hunting only fish. The crocodile has wider jaws.

• The gharial has more teeth than the crocodile, but they are much smaller and thinner: the gharial needs such sharp and thin teeth to tenaciously hold caught fish in its mouth. Depending on the species, a crocodile has 66 or 68 teeth, but the gharial can boast of having hundreds of sharp teeth.

• Another difference between a crocodile and a gharial: of the entire family of crocodiles, only the gharial conducts maximum time in the water, leaving the reservoir only to lay eggs and to bask a little in the sun. The crocodile spends about a third of its life in bodies of water, preferring water over land.
• Crocodiles and gharials differ very slightly in size. Male gharials usually have a body length of 3-4.5 meters, rarely reaching 5.5 meters in length. Crocodiles are not far behind their counterparts - the length of an adult male varies between 2-5.5 meters. And yet, seasoned males of some species of crocodiles often reach 7 meters in length. In terms of weight, crocodiles win this round: the saltwater crocodile can reach a mass of 2000 kg, and the Gangetic gharial has a modest weight of 180-200 kg.

What is the difference between a crocodile and a caiman?

• Although crocodiles and caimans belong to the order Crocodilia, caimans belong to the alligator family and crocodiles belong to the crocodilian family.
• The external differences between a crocodile and a caiman are as follows: crocodiles are distinguished by a pointed V-shaped snout, caimans are distinguished by a blunt and wide U-shaped muzzle.
• Another difference between reptiles is that crocodiles have special salt glands on their tongues. Through them, as well as through the lacrimal glands, crocodiles get rid of excess salts, so they feel equally good in both fresh and salt water. Caimans do not have this feature, therefore, with rare exceptions, they live only in clean fresh water bodies.

Types of crocodiles: names, descriptions, list and photos.

Modern classification divides the order of crocodiles into 3 families, 8 genera and 24 species.

Family of real crocodiles(lat. Crocodylidae). Some of its varieties are of particular interest:

• Saltwater crocodile (saltwater crocodile)(lat. Crocodylus porosus)- most big crocodile in the world, a mega-predator firmly established at the top of the food chain. Other names for this reptile are submarine crocodile, man-eating crocodile, salty, estuarine and Indo-Pacific crocodile. Length saltwater crocodile can reach 7 meters and weigh up to 2 tons. The species got its name thanks to 2 massive bony ridges running along the snout from the edge of the eyes. In appearance The crocodile's colors are predominantly pale yellow-brown, with dark stripes and spots visible on the body and tail. The salt water lover is a typical inhabitant of rivers flowing into the ocean, and also lives in sea lagoons. Saltwater crocodiles often live in the open sea and are found on the northern Australian coast, in Indonesia, the Philippines, India and off the coast of Japan. Crocodiles' food is any prey that a predator can catch. These can be large land animals: buffalos, leopards, grizzlies, antelopes, pythons, monitor lizards. The crocodile also often preys on medium-sized mammals: wild boars, tapirs, dingoes, kangaroos, and many species of monkeys, including orangutans. Domestic animals can also become prey: goats, etc. Of the birds, mainly waterfowl species, as well as marine and freshwater, and many species fall into the mouth of the combed crocodile. Baby crocodile feeds on aquatic invertebrates, insects and small fish. Older individuals freely eat poisonous cane toads, big fish and crustaceans. Saltwater crocodiles practice cannibalism on occasion, never missing the opportunity to eat small or weak representatives of their species.

• Blunt crocodile(lat. Osteolaemus tetraspis)- this is the most small crocodile in the world. The body length of an adult is only 1.5 meters. The male weighs about 80 kg, the female crocodiles weighs about 30-35 kg. The color of the reptile's back is black, its belly is yellow, with black spots. Unlike other types of crocodiles, the reptile has skin well armored with hard plates-growths, which compensates for the lack of growth. Blunt-snouted crocodiles live in fresh water bodies West Africa, timid and secretive, lead night look life. They feed on fish and carrion.

• Nile crocodile(lat. Crocodylus niloticus)- the largest reptile of the family after the saltwater crocodile, lives in Africa. The average body length of males is from 4.5 to 5.5 meters, and the weight of a male crocodile reaches almost 1 ton. The color of the crocodile is gray or light brown, with dark stripes on the back and tail. The reptile is one of 3 species that live in African countries and have no equal in water element. Even on land, conflicts over prey, such as with lions, involve a “tug-of-war,” and the crocodile still emerges victorious. - a typical inhabitant of rivers, lakes and swamps located south of the Sahara Desert, including the Nile River basin. The Nile crocodile feeds on fish: Nile perch, tilapia, black mullet, African pike and numerous representatives of cyprinids. And also mammals: antelopes, waterbucks, gazelles, oryx, warthogs, chimpanzees and gorillas. Often all types of domesticated animals become prey for the crocodile. Particularly large individuals attack buffaloes, and young African elephants. Young Nile crocodiles eat amphibians: the African toad, the changeable reed frog and the goliath frog. The young feed on insects (crickets), crabs and other invertebrates.

• Siamese crocodile(lat. Crocodylus siamensis) has a body up to 3-4 m long. The color of the crocodile is olive green, sometimes dark green. The weight of a male reaches 350 kg, the weight of females is 150 kg. This species of crocodiles is listed in the Red Book as endangered. Today the population numbers no more than 5 thousand individuals. The species' range extends through the countries of southeast Asia: Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and is also found on the island of Kalimantan. The main food source of Siamese crocodiles is different kinds, small . In rare cases, the crocodile feeds on rodents and carrion.

• Sharp-snouted crocodile(lat. Crocodylus acutus)- the most common representative of the family. The species is distinguished by a narrow, characteristically pointed snout. Adult males grow up to 4 m in length, females up to 3 m. The weight of a crocodile is 500-1000 kg. The color of the crocodile is grayish or greenish-brown. Crocodiles live in swampy areas, rivers, as well as fresh and salt lakes in the Northern and South America. Sharp-snouted crocodiles eat most species of freshwater and sea ​​fish. A significant part of the diet consists of birds: pelicans, flamingos,. With a certain periodicity, crocodiles eat marine and livestock. Young reptiles feed on crabs, as well as insects and their larvae.

• Australian narrow-snoutedcrocodile (lat. Crocodylus johnstoni) is a freshwater reptile and is small in size: males grow no more than 3 meters in length, females up to 2 meters. The animal has an uncharacteristically narrow muzzle for a crocodile. The color of the reptile is brown with black stripes on the crocodile's back and tail. A population of about 100 thousand individuals inhabits freshwater bodies of northern Australia. The Australian narrow-snouted crocodile feeds primarily on fish. A small part of the diet of adults consists of waterfowl and small mammals.

Alligator family(lat. Alligatoridae), in which the subfamily alligators and the subfamily caimans are distinguished. This family includes the following varieties:

• Mississippi alligator (American alligator) (lat. Alligator mississippiensis) - large reptile(reptile), males of which grow up to 4.5 m in length with a body weight of about 200 kg. Unlike the crocodile, the American alligator can withstand the cold and can hibernate by freezing its body into the ice and leaving only its nostrils on the surface. These alligators live in fresh water bodies North America: dams, swamps, rivers and lakes. The Mississippi (American) alligator, unlike crocodiles, rarely attacks large animals. Adult alligators feed on fish, waterfowl, water snakes and among mammals they eat nutria, muskrats and raccoons. Baby alligators eat worms, as well as insects and their larvae. Some alligators do not have enough melanin pigment and are albino. True, a white crocodile is rarely found in nature.

White crocodile (albino)

• - a small species of alligator, which is also rare species. Only 200 individuals live in nature. The color of the alligator is yellow-gray, there are black spots on the lower jaw. The average length of an alligator is 1.5 meters, the maximum reaches 2.2 meters. The weight of the predator is 35-45 kg. Alligators live in China, in the Yangtze River basin. They feed on small birds and mammals, mollusks.

• Crocodile (spectacled) caiman(lat. Caiman crocodilus) - a relatively small alligator with a body length of up to 1.8-2 m and a weight of up to 60 kg. This type of crocodile is different narrow muzzle and a characteristic bony growth between the eyes, shaped like glasses. Little cayman has yellow bodies with black spots, an adult crocodile has olive green skin. The reptile has the widest range of all alligators. The caiman lives in low-lying, stagnant bodies of fresh or salt water from Mexico and Guatemala to the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Due to its small size, the caiman feeds on mollusks, small fish, freshwater crabs, as well as small reptiles and mammals. Seasoned individuals occasionally attack large amphibians, for example, as well as wild boars and even other caimans.

• Black caiman(lat. Melanosuchus niger)- one of the most large reptiles. The body length of a mature male can exceed 5.5 m, and the body weight can be more than 500 kg. A pronounced bony ridge, typical of all caimans, runs from the eyes along the entire length of the muzzle. The modern population, consisting of approximately 100 thousand individuals, lives in large rivers and lakes of South America. Adult black caimans eating a large number of fish, including piranhas

  Gharial family(lat. Gavialidae) consists of several genera and only 2 modern species:

  • Gangetic gharial(lat. Gavialis gangeticus)- a large representative of the order with a body growing up to 6 meters in length. Gharials, unlike real crocodiles, have a lighter constitution, so the weight of an adult individual generally does not exceed 200 kg. Gharials are distinguished by a characteristically narrow jaw shape, conveniently adapted for catching fish, as well as a maximum number of teeth - up to 100 pieces. Gharials live in the pools and knees of rivers in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The species is listed in the Red Book as particularly rare and has been completely exterminated in Bhutan and Myanmar. Due to its predominantly aquatic lifestyle, the Gangetic gharial feeds mainly on fish. Particularly large individuals occasionally attack small mammals and happily eat carrion. Baby reptiles are content with invertebrate animals.

  

  • Gharial crocodile(lat. Tomistoma schlegelii)- the closest relative of the gharial, with the same long, narrow muzzle and gigantic size. The body length of a crocodile can exceed 6 meters, but on average reaches no more than 5 meters. The color of the crocodile is chocolate brown with stripes on the body. The weight of a crocodile varies from 93 kg for females to 210 kg for males. This species of reptile has endangered status. A small population of crocodiles, consisting of 2.5 thousand individuals, lives in shallow, swampy rivers and lakes in Indonesia and Malaysia. The gharial crocodile, unlike its closest relative, the Gangetic gharial, only partly consumes fish, shrimp and small vertebrates. Despite the narrow snout, the main diet of the predator consists of pythons and others, monitor lizards, monkeys, wild pigs, deer and otters.