0 Nile Crocodile

  

The Life of Animals | Nile Crocodile | The Nile crocodile or Common crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is an African crocodile which is common in Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,Gabon, South Africa, Malawi, Sudan, Botswana, and Cameroon. Isolated populations also exist in Madagascar, Senegal.

In antiquity, Nile crocodiles occurred in the Nile delta and the Zarqa River (Jordan), and they are recorded by Herodotus to have inhabited Lake Moeris. It is known from fossil remains that they once inhabited Lake Edward  The Nile crocodile's current range of distribution extends from the Senegal River, Lake Chad, Wadai and the Sudan to the Cunene and the Okavango Delta. In Madagascar, crocodiles occur in the western and southern parts from Sembirano to Port Dauphin. Nile crocodiles have a dark bronze colouration above, with black spots on the back and a dirty purple on the belly. The flanks, which are yellowish green in colour, have dark patches arranged in oblique stripes.

 

 a scaly hide with rows of ossified scutes running down their back and tail; and powerful jaws. Nostrils, eyes, and ears are situated on the tops of their head, so the rest of the body can Smaller specimens can gallop, and even larger crocodiles are capable of surprising bursts of speeds, briefly reaching up to 12 to 14 km/h (7.5 to 8.5 mi/h). The bite force exerted by an adult Nile crocodile has been shown by Dr. Brady Barr to measure 5,000 lbf (22 kN). Hatchlings quickly lose a hardened piece of skin on the top of their mouth called the egg tooth, which they use to break through their egg's shell at birth.Outside water crocodiles can meet concurrence with other dominant Savanna predators, notably felines such as lions and leopards. Occasionally, both will hunt and prey on each other, depending on size, if regular food becomes scarce. The Nile crocodile is the largest crocodilian in Africa and is sometimes regarded as the second largest crocodilian after the saltwater crocodile. The male crocodile usually measure from 11.5 to 16 feet long (3.5 to 5 metres), but very old, mature ones can grow to 18 ft (5.5 m) or more Like all crocodiles they are sexually dimorphic, with the males up to 30% larger than the females, though the difference is even more in some species, like the saltwater crocodile. Mature female Nile crocodiles measure 8 to 13 ft (2.4 to 4.0 m)  Typical Nile crocodile weight is 225 kg (500 lb), though 730 kg (1,600 lb) is possible The largest accurately measured male was shot near Mwanza, Tanzania and measured 6.45 m (21.2 ft) and weighed approximately 1,090 kg (2,400 lb).Dwarf Nile crocodiles also exist in Mali and in the Sahara desert, which reach only 2 to 3 m (6.5 to 10 ft) in length.

Young hatchlings generally feed on smaller prey, preferring insects and small aquatic invertebrates before taking on fish, amphibians and small reptiles. Juveniles and subadults take a wider variety of prey with additions such as birds and small to mid-sized mammals. Throughout its life, both young and mature crocodiles can feed on fish and other small vertebrates on separate occasions, when large food is absent, as a side diet. Adults are apex predators and prey upon various birds, reptiles and mammals in addition to prey consumed also by the young and juvenile specimens. Nile crocodiles also prey on humans frequently, far more often than other crocodilian species (although in parts of the Philippines and New Guinea saltwater crocodile attacks can also be common). This is due to the extensive use of Nile crocodile habitat by people who are unable to afford proper crocodile safety equipment.[citation needed] Although not common, crocodiles can also hunt in packs of five or more individuals while in the water, which can lead to the capture of much larger prey such as hippopotamus and even the Black Rhinoceros

Adult Nile crocodiles use their bodies and tail to herd groups of fish toward a bank, and eat them with quick sideways jerks of their heads. The most dominant crocodile eats first. Their ability to lie concealed with most of their body underwater, combined with their speed over short distances, makes them effective opportunistic hunters of larger prey. They grab such prey in their powerful jaws, drag it into the water, and hold it underneath until it drowns. Groups of Nile crocodiles may travel hundreds of metres from a waterway to feast on a carcass. Once their prey is dead, they rip off and swallow chunks of flesh. When groups of Nile crocodiles are sharing a kill, they use each other for leverage, biting down hard and then twisting their body to tear off large pieces of meat. Herodotus claimed that Nile crocodiles have a symbiotic relationship with certain birds like the Egyptian plover, which enter the crocodile's mouth and pick leeches that have been feeding on the crocodile's blood, but there is no evidence of this interaction actually occurring in any crocodile species, and it is most likely mythical or allegorical fiction.

During the mating season, males attract females by bellowing, slapping their snouts in the water, blowing water out of their noses, and making a variety of other noises. The larger males of a population tend to be more successful. Females lay their eggs about two months after mating .referred nesting locations are sandy shores, dry stream beds, or riverbanks. The number of eggs varies between different populations, but averages around 50. Multiple females may nest close together. The eggs resemble hen eggs, but have a much thinner shell. Both the mother and father may pick up the eggs in their mouths, and roll them between their tongue and the upper palate of their mouth to help crack the shell, and release their offspring. Once they are hatched, the female may lead the hatchlings to water, or even carry them there, in her mouth.Nile crocodiles have Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), which means the sex of their hatchlings is determined not by genetics, but by the average temperature during the middle third of their incubation period. Males can only be born if the temperature is within that narrow 5-degree range.The new mother will protect her offspring for up to two years, and if there are multiple nests in the same area, the mothers may form a crèche. The mother will sometimes carry her young on her back to avoid them getting eaten by turtles or water snakes. Crocodile longevity is not well established, but larger species like the Nile crocodile live longer, and may have an average life span of 70–100 years.

Detail: Nile Crocodile

0 Siamese crocodile

 

  

The Life of Animals | Siamese crocodile | The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a freshwater crocodile native to Indonesia (Borneo and possibly Java), Brunei, East Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam. In the wild They prefer slow-moving waters like swamps, rivers, and some lakesDue to excessive hunting and habitat loss this crocodile is a critically endangered species.

Since then, a number of surveys have confirmed the presence of a tiny population in Thailand (possibly numbering as little as two individuals, discounting recent reintroductions), a small population in Vietnam (possibly less than 100 individuals), and more sizable Populations in Burma , Laos and Cambodia. In March 2005, conservationists found a nest containing juvenile Siamese Crocodiles in the southern Lao province of Savannakhet.

There is known to be a significant population of the Crocodiles living in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Fauna and Flora International is running a program in the district of Thmo Bang, Koh Kong province, where Villagers are financially encouraged to Safeguarding known Crocodile Nests. The Araeng river is Considered to have the healthiest population of Siamese Crocodiles in the world, although this may change soon after the completion of a massive dam in the river Araeng.

During the heavy monsoon period of June-November, Siamese Crocodiles take advantage of the increase of in water levels to move out of the river and onto large local lakes and other bodies of water, returning to Their original habitat once water levels start receding back to Their usual levels. A number of captively held individuals are the result of hybridization with the saltwater crocodile, but Several thousand "pure" individuals do exist in captivity and it is regularly Bred at crocodile farms; ESPECIALLY in Thailand. In the Bang Sida National Park in Thailand, near Cambodia, there is a project to reintroduce into the wild Siamese crocodile. A number of young Crocodiles have been released into a small and remote river in the park, not accessible to visitors.

Detail: Siamese crocodile

0 Philippine Crocodile

 

  

The Life of Animals | Philippine Crocodile | The Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) is a crocodile found in the Philippines It is also known as the Mindoro crocodile and the Philippine freshwater crocodile. In the Philippines, it is strictly prohibited to kill a crocodile, but its status is critically endangered from exploitation and unsustainable fishing methods such as dynamite fishing  Conservation methods are being taken by the Dutch/Filipino Mabuwaya foundation the Crocodile Conservation Society and the Zoological Institute of HerpaWorld in Mindoro.

The Philippine crocodile is a relatively small freshwater crocodilian endemic to the Philippines. Philippine crocodiles are golden-brown in color, which darkens as it matures. The Philippine crocodile is only found on the islands of the Philippines. This species of crocodile is one of the most severely threatened species around. The Philippine crocodile has been extirpated in Samar, Jolo, Negros Island, Masbate, and Busuanga. There are still surviving population in the Northern Sierra Madre National Park, San Mariano, Isabela, Dalupiri island in the Babuyan Islands, and Abra (province) in Luzon and Ligawasan Marsh in Mindanao

The Philippine crocodile is a relatively small, freshwater crocodile. More surveys are required to determine the present range. Initial population reduction was through commercial exploitation, although the current threat is mainly from removal of suitable habitat for agricultural purposes to satisfy a rapidly expanding human population. There is also very limited governmental support for any conservation measures, and the crocodiles are often killed by the local populace.

The Crocodile Conservation Society Philippines and the Zoological Institute of HerpaWorld working on Conservation Breeding and Release Programs. Crocodylus mindorensis was considered locally extinct in part of its former range in Northern Luzon until a live specimen was caught in San Mariano, Isabela in 1999. The specimen was 1.6 meters long at the time of its release This crocodile was featured in National Geographic's Dangerous Encounters hosted by crocodile specialist Dr. Brady Barr.

Detail: Philippine Crocodile

0 Black Caiman

  

The Life of Animals | Black Caiman | The black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) is a crocodilian. The black caiman has a bony ridge over brown eyes, and black, scaly skin. The skin coloration helps with camouflage during its nocturnal hunts, but may also help absorb heat (See thermoregulation). Small black caiman can be distinguished from large spectacled caiman by their proportionately larger head and shorter tail, as well as by the color of the jaw, which is light colored in the spectacled caiman and dark with three black spots in the black caiman.

The black caiman is one of the largest reptiles. It is the largest predator in the Amazon basin and possibly the largest member of the family Alligatoridae. Most adult black caimans are 3 to 4.26 metres (9.8–14 ft) in lengths, with old males rarely growing larger than 5 metres (16 ft). The black caiman broadly overlaps in size with the American alligator, although it is on average larger at maturity. Several unconfirmed sources report that the black caiman can grow to 6 metres (20 ft) or more  It is, however, the third largest crocodilian in South America behind the American Crocodile and Orinoco Crocodile.

Immature specimens eat crustaceans and insects but quickly graduate to eating fish, including piranhas, catfish, and perch, which remain the primary food source for all black caiman. Larger specimens can take tapirs, anacondas, deer and capybara. Jaguars are a known predator of all other caiman species as well as juvenile black caimans, but mature black caimans likely have no natural predators, as is true of other similarly-sized crocodilian species (given the size, weight and immense biting strength). At the end of the dry season, females build a nest of soil and vegetation, which is about 1.5 meters (5 ft) across and 0.75 meters wide (2.5 ft). The mother will assist chirping, unhatched young to break out of the leathery eggs, by delicately breaking the eggs between her teeth. The female black caiman only breeds once every 2 to 3 years. The black caiman is mentioned in Matthew Reilly's best selling book Temple, where they are constantly eating people that fall in the water.  

Detail: Black Caiman

0 Chinese alligator

  

The Life of Animals | Chinese alligator | The Chinese alligator or Alligator  is one of two known living species of Alligator, a genus in the family Alligatoridae. The Chinese alligator is native only to China. It is smaller than the other alligator species, the American alligator, growing to an average of 1.5 m (5 ft).

One obvious difference is that the Chinese alligator is quite small. Chinese alligators grow slowly, being only 2 ft (60 cm) long after 2 years of age. The Chinese alligator is listed as a CITES Appendix I species, which puts extreme restrictions on its trade and exportation throughout the world.

Chinese alligators are quite prolific in captivity, with estimates of the total captive population at over 10,000 animals, mostly in the Anhui Research Centre of Chinese Alligator Reproduction and the Madras Crocodile Bank, as well as in numerous zoos, including the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park which has successfully bred the Chinese alligator and has been fortunate enough to release some of the offspring back into the wild in China. They can also be seen in the reptile houses of the Cincinnati Zoo, Memphis Zoo, and St. Louis Zoo  In an effort to ensure the species' survival, Chinese alligators hatched at zoos in the United States are being reintroduced into the wild in China

A rare alligator form exists in the cadre of animal forms belonging to Xingyiquan boxing  One source states this technique was inspired by the way an alligator can "float and swim well  It goes on to say "The alligator’s attribute is a combination of quietness, nimbleness, and a sudden, smooth, and quickly twisting force  The character used to represent alligator in this instance is Tuo which is different from the character regularly used to describe both the alligator and crocodile. 

Detail: Chinese alligator

0 Freshwater Crocodile

 

  

The Life of Animals | Freshwater Crocodile | The freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnsoni Crocodylus johnstoni or; see below), also known as the Australian freshwater crocodile, Johnston's Crocodile or colloquially as freshie, is a species of reptiles endemic to the northern regions of Australia. It is much Smaller than the other Australian species, the saltwater crocodile, the which is Responsible for attacks on people.

Their larger relatives Unlike saltwater, freshwater Crocodiles are not known as man-eaters and rarely cause fatalities although Will They bite in self-defense if cornered. The freshwater crocodile is a Relatively small crocodilian. This species is shy and has a Slender Snout more dangerous than the saltwater crocodile. Body scales are Relatively large, with wide, closely-knit armored plates on the back. 

Although the freshwater crocodile does not attack Humans as potential prey, it can deliver a nasty bite. An attack by a freshwater crocodile on a human was recorded at Barramundi Gorge (also known as Maguk) in Kakadu National Park and resulted in minor injuries; the victim managed to swim and walk away from the attack. Freshwater Crocodiles are found in the states of Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Main habitats include freshwater wetlands, billabongs, rivers and Creeks. They Compete poorly with saltwater Crocodiles; however this species is saltwater tolerant. Adult Crocodiles eat birds, bats, Reptiles, amphibians and fish, although larger individuals may take prey as large as a wallaby.

Until recently the Freshwater Crocodile was common in northern Australia, ESPECIALLY where saltwater Crocodiles are absent (Such as more arid inland areas and higher elevations). The Toad is poisonous to freshwater Crocodiles, although not to saltwater Crocodiles, and the Toad is rampant throughout the Australian wilderness of The Crocodiles are also infected by Griphobilharzia amoena, a parasitic trematode, in regions Such as Darwin. 

Detail: Freshwater Crocodile

0 Gharial

  

The Life of Animals | Gharial | The Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), also called Indian gavial or gavial, is the only surviving member of the once well-represented family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodilians with long, slender snouts The gharial is listed as a critically endangered species by IUCN The gharial is one of the three crocodilians found in India, the others being the Mugger crocodile and the Saltwater crocodile It is one of the longest of all living crocodilians.

Gharials are exceeded in size only by the Saltwater Crocodile.  land, however, an adult gharial can only push itself forward and slide on its belly. Its elongated, narrow snout becomes proportionally shorter and thicker as an animal ages. The bulbous growth on the tip of a male’s snout renders gharials the only visibly sexually dimorphic crocodilian. This growth is present in mature individuals and called ghara after the Indian word meaning “pot”. The average size of mature gharials is 3.6 to 4.5 m (12 to 15 ft) The three largest examples reported were a 6.5 m (21 ft) gharial killed in the Gogra River of Faizabad in August 1920; a 6.3 m (21 ft) individual shot in the Cheko River of Jalpaiguri in 1934; and a giant taped at 7 m (23 ft), which was shot in the Kosi River of northern Bihar in January 1924

The jaws are lined with many interlocking, razor-sharp teeth — 27 to 29 upper and 25 or 26 lower teeth on each side. The front teeth are the largest. The gharial's snout is narrow and long, with a dilation at the end and its nasal bones are comparatively short and are widely separated from the pre-maxillaries. The nasal opening of a gharial is smaller than the supra-temporal fossae. The gharial's lower anterior margin of orbit (jugal) is raised and its mandibular symphysis is extremely long, extending to the 23rd or 24th tooth. The length of the snout is 3.5 (in adults) to 5.5 times (in young) the breadth of the snout's base. Nuchal and dorsal scutes form a single continuous shield composed of 21 or 22 transverse series. Gharials have an outer row of soft, smooth, or feebly keeled scutes in addition to the bony dorsal scutes. The outer toes of a gharial are two-thirds webbed, while the middle toe is only one-third webbed. Gharials have a strong crest on the outer edge of the forearm, leg, and foot. Typically, adult gharials consist of a dark olive color tone while young ones are pale olive, with dark brown spots or cross-bands.

Gharials thrive in deep rivers. In India, small populations are present and increasing in the rivers of the National Chambal Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Son River Sanctuary and the rainforest biome of Mahanadi in Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Orissa, where they apparently do not breedIn Nepal, small populations are present and slowly recovering in tributaries of the Ganges, such as the Narayani-Rapti river system in Chitwan National Park and the Karnali-Babai river system in Bardia National Park. They are extinct in Pakistan's Indus River, in the Brahmaputra of Bhutan and Bangladesh and in the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar. There have been some small-scale projects to breed and rehabilitate gharials, like in Nepal's Chitwan National Park. Young gharials eat insects, larvae, and small frogs. Mature adults feed almost solely on fish, although some individuals have been known to scavenge dead animals. Their snout morphology is ideally suited for preying on fish. Their long, narrow snouts offer very little resistance to water in swiping motions to snap up fish in the water. Their numerous needle-like teeth are ideal for holding on to struggling, slippery fish. Gharials will often use their body to corral fish against the bank where they can be more easily snapped up

The mating season is during November through December and well into January. The gharial is not a man-eater and is sensitive towards humans. The drastic decline in the gharial population can be attributed to a variety of causes including over-hunting for skins and trophies, egg collection for consumption, killing for indigenous medicine, and killing by fishermen. the excessive, irreversible loss of riverine habitat caused by the construction of dams, barrages, irrigation canals, siltation, changes in river course, artificial embankments, sand-mining, riparian agriculture, and domestic and feral livestock, which have combined to cause an extreme limitation to gharial range. Since 2007, the species is listed as Critically Endangered on the Red List of Threatened Species issued by IUCN, and protected by CITES Appendix I.  Conservation programs have been undertaken in India and Nepal, based on the establishment of protected areas and restocking these with animals born in captivity, but nowhere has restocking re-established viable populations Since 1981, more than 3000 young gharial have been released into the wild. The release of captive gharials was not as successful as expected. Recently, more than 100 gharials died in India in the Chambal River from an unknown cause with gout-like symptoms.

    
On December 27, 2010, the then Indian Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, during a visit with Romulus Whitaker at the Madras Crocodile Bank, announced the formation of a National Tri-State Chambal Sanctuary Management and Coordination Committee for gharial conservation on 1,600 km2 (620 sq mi) of the National Chambal Sanctuary along the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The Committee will comprise representatives of three states' Water Resources Ministries, states' Departments of Irrigation and Power, Wildlife Institute of India, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, the Gharial Conservation Alliance, Development Alternatives, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Divisional Forest officers of the three states. The Committee will plan strategies for protection of gharials and their habitat. Although gharials have sacrificed the great mechanical strength of the robust skull and jaw that most crocodiles and alligators have, and in consequence cannot prey on large creatures, the educed weight and water resistance of their lighter skull and very narrow jaw gives gharials the ability to catch rapidly moving fish, using a side-to-side snapping motion.

Detail: Gharial