Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

149

CROCODILE SMILE

Crocodiles often bask in the sun

with their mouths wide open.

Blood vessels inside the

mouth absorb the sun’s

warmth. This raises the

animal’s body temperature

and gives the crocodile the

energy to hunt for its prey

in the evening.

LOOKING LIKE AN OLD LOG, lying low in the

water but ready to snap up almost any animal,

the crocodile seems like a survivor from a

prehistoric age—and it is. One hundred

million years ago crocodiles prowled

through the swamps with the

dinosaurs. Crocodiles and alligators

belong to the reptile group called

crocodilians. This group includes

14 kinds of crocodiles, eight kinds of alligators (six of

which are commonly called caimans), and one kind of

gharial. Crocodilians are carnivorous (meat-eating) reptiles;

they lurk in rivers, lakes, and swamps, grabbing whatever prey

they can. Crocodiles and alligators eat fish

and frogs whole. They drag larger prey such

as deer under the water, where they grip

the animal in their jaws and spin rapidly,

tearing off chunks of flesh. Crocodiles

and alligators occasionally eat humans.

YOUNG

After about three months, the young

crocodiles hatch out of the eggs. The

mother guards them closely because

they are in danger of becoming food

for large lizards and foxes.

GHARIAL

The gharial has a long,

slender mouth with sharp

teeth for catching fish.

CAIMAN

The caiman has a broad

mouth for eating a

variety of prey.

ALLIGATOR

Unlike crocodiles, no

lower teeth are visible

when the alligator’s

mouth is closed.

CROCODILE

The fourth tooth

on each side of the

crocodile’s lower jaw

is visible when the

mouth is closed.

Sharp teeth grip land
animals such as deer
and drag them under
the water to drown.

Eyes and nostrils are high

on the head, so an alligator

can see and breathe

when its body is almost

submerged in water. American

alligator

ALLIGATOR

There are two kinds of true

alligators—the Chinese and the

American alligators. Today, the

Chinese alligator is in great

danger of extinction—only a

few hundred survive in the

wild. The American alligator

lives in rivers and swamps

across the southeastern

United States, where it eats

fish, water birds, and

anything else it can catch.

In more populated areas,

the American alligator also

grabs unwary farm animals.

CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS

Legs fold along body

when alligator is swimming.

Female carries

the young in

her mouth.

Nile crocodiles measure

up to 20 ft (6 m) long

and weigh more

than 1 ton.

Long tail swishes back

and forth for rapid

swimming.

Find out more

Animals

Lizards

Prehistoric life

NILE CROCODILE

The Nile crocodile is found

in many watery parts of Africa.

Like most reptiles, the female

lays eggs, which she looks after

until they hatch. The newly

hatched young listen for their

mother’s footsteps and call to

her. She gently gathers them into

her mouth in batches and carries

them to the safety of the water.