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Anatomical structure of a crocodile. Crocodiles What vision does a crocodile have

Crocodiles are often ranked among the most interesting animals, and many zoologists and animal lovers spend their entire lives studying the characteristics and diversity of crocodiles.

Crocodiles (Crocodilia) are reptiles from the order of aquatic vertebrates. Their usual habitats are in Australia, North and South America, Asia and Africa. Today, they are considered the most powerful among reptiles. There are about 23 modern species that are in 3 families: crocodiles, alligators and gharials. As a rule, these animals live from 60 to 70 years, but there are individuals who have crossed the 125-year mark.

The sizes of crocodiles are very different, but the largest crocodile in the world, which is also the heaviest, is combed crocodile(Crocodylus porosus). Its length becomes 6.2 meters, and its weight is 1200 kg. Its habitats are the waters of eastern India, South-East Asia and Northern Australia.


photo: Phil Simonson

(Osteolaemus tetraspis) is the smallest. Found in tropical lowland waters south of the Sahara West Africa and Western Central Africa. It is only 1-2 meters long.

Being hunters, all crocodiles have a very good vision. To begin with, they have the ability to keep their eyes open while immersed in water. This gives them the ability to lurk under water in anticipation of prey. On land, these reptiles are just as dangerous and fast, reaching speeds of up to 43.5 km/h.


Due to its specific appearance, it is widely known (Gavialis gangeticus). The largest males reach a length of 5-6 m, and females are slightly more than 4 m. They have a long and thin snout, designed to catch fish, their main food. Gharials live in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, live in clean freshwater rivers with fast flow.

Second modern look in the gavial family gavial crocodile(Tomistoma schlegelii) also has a long snout and large sizes. It lives in Malaysia and Indonesia, very rarely, but still found in Thailand.


photo: Ted McGrath

The most common member of the real crocodile family sharp-snouted crocodile(Crocodylus acutus). Enough large view: average length: 3.5 m, maximum ‒ 6 m, weight 180-450 kg. It has a stocky body with a long, powerful tail. Dwells along east coast Pacific Ocean from western Mexico south to Ecuador, and along west coast Atlantic Ocean from Guatemala north to the southern edge of Florida.

Siamese crocodile(Crocodylus siamensis) - small, freshwater crocodile with a relatively broad, smooth muzzle. It is one of the most endangered species in wild nature, although it is widely bred in captivity. Adults feed mainly on fish, but may also eat amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals.


photo: RonSpomer

Crocodiles are among the most well-adapted hunters among reptiles and beyond. To begin with, there are about 24 teeth in one jaw, which are ideal for grasping prey, but not for chewing. Damaged and broken teeth are constantly replaced with new ones. After the crocodile has caught its prey, it does not let it go, pulls it into the water to drown it. After that, it swallows the victim without chewing, if it is too large, then it makes sharp movements from side to side to tear it into smaller pieces. All crocodiles are known as one of the most patient hunters because they can stay underwater right below the surface of the water, hiding for more than 8 hours waiting for prey.


One of the most dangerous animals in Africa and famous cannibal is nile crocodile(Crocodylus niloticus). Only where hippos live, dies more people than from this terrible reptile. Among the very dangerous representatives families are also swamp crocodile(Crocodylus palustris) and Mississippi alligator(Alligator mississippiensis). About 100 people a year suffer from the first, and the second attacks only 10 a year, but almost all cases end in death.


photo: Vladislav Simonov

(Alligator sinensis) has only about 200 individuals, and therefore has the status of a very rare species. It hunts at night and its diet consists mainly of aquatic mollusks such as snails and mussels, as well as fish. Also feeds on random waterfowl and small mammals.


photo: muzina_shanghai

Male crocodiles grow much larger and faster than females. Depending on the species, a crocodile can live up to an average of 70 years, with some species the limit is as high as 130 years.


photo: Profe Josema

In the International Red Book is caiman black (Melanosuchus niger), which is found throughout most of the Amazon basin, but is much rarer than it was a few decades ago. This is the most large predator Amazon that grows up to 6 m in length. conservation status also have swamp crocodile(Crocodylus palustris), Orinoco(Crocodylus intermedius), sharp-nosed(Crocodylus acutus), narrow-nosed african(Crocodylus cataphractus) and gavial(Gavialis gangeticus).

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AT modern world It is believed that crocodiles are distant relatives dinosaurs. Indeed, in their appearance one can imagine what the ancient monsters were giants. Today, crocodiles are well studied and classified as a separate class. However, people often confuse which one to which. Crocodile - reptile or amphibian? What is the difference between these two classes? Let's look at them in more detail.

Class Amphibians

Amphibians, or this class is also called amphibians, are very different from all other vertebrates. The very first difference is that they have two stages of development. The first one is in young age amphibians are like fish. They also have a tail, gills and they are all born in the water. The second stage in development is the exit of amphibians from the water and the restructuring of the whole organism for life both in water and on land: the lungs develop, the tail disappears. The most obvious example in this case is a frog.

With such differences, why does the question arise: is a crocodile a reptile or an amphibian? The fact is that the crocodile lives in the water, has lungs and can also be considered an amphibian to some extent. But he does not have stages of rebirth, like amphibians. Crocodiles are born already fully formed and not in water, but on land. And only after a while they seem to return to aquatic environment. Now consider why the crocodile is a reptile.

Class Reptiles

The Reptile class includes not only crocodiles, but also snakes, turtles and lizards. All have similarities with amphibians and there are many differences. So, all reptiles are cold-blooded animals. Therefore, their main habitat is the tropics and subtropics. In addition, the body of reptiles is covered with scales that protect delicate skin. The crocodile has such strong skin that it is impossible to damage it just like that. Interestingly, unlike other types of reptiles, crocodiles do not shed, and their skin grows with them.

Another difference from amphibians is the structure of the skeleton. All reptiles have cervical vertebrae that allow you to turn your head. In addition, reptiles do not have skin respiration, like amphibians, but breathe due to a developed respiratory system. In all reptiles, fertilization occurs inside the body, unlike amphibians, and the young are born fully formed.

Structural features of a crocodile

The crocodile in its structure differs not only from amphibians, but also from most reptiles. The appearance of the crocodile is awesome, and it really looks like the dinosaurs that lived in antiquity. The length of the reptile is from 2 to 6 meters, it inspires fear. The head is arranged in a special way: it is flat, with a long snout on which the nostrils are located. The eyes are located at the top, and when in the water, the crocodile can only expose the eyes and nostrils. In this case, it is very difficult to notice it.

In addition, the heart of a crocodile differs from a similar organ in other reptiles in that it has four chambers, not three. This indicates a more advanced circulatory system and brings the crocodile closer to mammals. But in the circulatory system of the crocodile there is a controlled system for mixing arterial blood with venous blood. This helps in the digestion process and prevents infection from being in dirty water.

reproduction

Another sign by which you can determine whether a crocodile is a reptile or an amphibian is the method of reproduction. The female crocodile lays her eggs, but not in water, like amphibians, but on land. She buries them in the sand near the water. The female herself protects the nest from uninvited guests, being close to the masonry. Interestingly, all eggs hatch at the same time, and the sex of the babies depends on temperature. environment. If the temperature exceeds 34 degrees, females will hatch, and if it is between 30 and 34, then males.

Just before they are born, little crocodiles give their mother a signal, and she carefully digs out the masonry, helping them out of the nest. All other reptiles do not do this. At the same time, the crocodile also carries its babies in its mouth to the water. One can imagine how these huge jaws gently take the crocodiles and move them into the pond. Also, sometimes a crocodile helps to get to the water and newborn turtles.

Types of crocodiles

In nature, there are 21 species of crocodiles. All of them differ in size, habitat and head structure. Most often they confuse the crocodile and alligator. An interesting point: they differ in the structure of the muzzle. In a crocodile, it is sharp, and in an alligator, it is more blunt. Teeth with a closed mouth are visible only in crocodiles. The heart of a crocodile pumps blood faster, and due to this, salt metabolism is faster than that of alligators. This feature allows crocodiles to live not only in fresh water, but also in the sea.

There are small crocodiles, such as caimans, that can be kept at home. This often happens because the caiman is able to adapt well to any conditions. The only thing he lives only in clean water, which is easy to create at home or a zoo.

Perhaps this article helped you deal with the question: is a crocodile a reptile or an amphibian?

Crocodile animal reptile, belongs to 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 the aquatic environment. The closest relatives of crocodiles are considered.

Features and habitat of a crocodile

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

Crocodile 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 in the long body, there are reptiles up to 6 meters, but most are 2-4 m.

The largest combed 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 ears and nostrils of the crocodile are closed with valves, transparent eyelids fall over the eyes, thanks to which 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 a palatine curtain. The eyes of the crocodile 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.

The green tint predominates if the medium temperature is elevated. The skin of the animal consists of strong horny plates that protect well internal organs.

Crocodiles, unlike other reptiles, do not shed, their skin is constantly growing and renewing. Due to the elongated body, the animal perfectly maneuvers and moves quickly in the water, while using its powerful tail as a rudder.

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

The nature and lifestyle of a crocodile

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

Birds attracted by the remnants of food at this time are free to enter the mouth to feast on. And although crocodile predator, wild animal he never tries to grab them.

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

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

Food

Crocodiles hunt mainly at night, but if prey is available during the day, the animal will not refuse to eat. A potential prey, even at a very great distance, reptiles are helped to detect receptors located on the jaws.

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 - medium-sized mammals, reptiles and birds.

Very large crocodiles calmly cope with prey larger than themselves. So Nile crocodiles hunted during their migration; the combed 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. Too much big booty they can leave at the bottom to soak. The stones swallowed by the animal help in the digestion of food, they crush it in the stomach. Stones can be of impressive size: the Nile crocodile can swallow a stone up to 5 kg.

Crocodiles do not use carrion, only if they are very weak and not capable of hunting, they do not touch rotten food at all. Reptiles eat quite a lot: they can eat about a quarter of their weight at a time. About 60% of the food consumed is converted into fat, so a crocodile can starve up to one to a year if necessary.

Reproduction and lifespan

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

Although animals live in water, they lay their 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 depression becomes deeper, in the shade - not so much.

Eggs mature for about three months, all this time the female is next to the clutch, practically not eating. The sex of future crocodiles depends on the temperature of the environment: females appear at 28-30 ° C, males at temperatures above 32 ° C.

Before being born, the cubs inside the eggs begin to grunt. The mother, having heard the sounds, begins to dig out the masonry. Then it helps the babies to get rid of the shell by rolling the eggs in their mouths.

Appeared crocodiles 26-28 cm in size, the female carefully transfers to a shallow pond, capturing it in her mouth. There they grow up for two months, after which they disperse to the surrounding not heavily populated water bodies. Many small reptiles die, they become victims of birds, monitor lizards and other predators.

Surviving crocodiles first feed on insects, then prey on small fish and, from 8-10 years of age, they begin to catch larger animals.

Not all are dangerous types of crocodiles. So the Nile crocodile and the combed one are cannibals, and the gharial is not at all dangerous. Crocodile as a pet today they even keep them in city apartments.

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


A crocodile is a semi-aquatic vertebrate wild animal, belongs to the type of chordates, a class of reptiles, a squad of crocodiles (lat. Crocodilia).

Own Russian name predator got thanks Greek word"crocodilos", literally meaning "pebble worm". Most likely, this is how the Greeks called the reptile, whose bumpy skin looks like a pebble, and the long body and characteristic body movements - a worm.

AT sea ​​water the crocodile feeds on fish, sawfly rays, and even, including white ones, the size of which is not inferior, but often exceeds the length of the attacking crocodile. The menu consisting of mammals is especially varied. A successful hunt brings a crocodile for lunch, a monitor lizard, a wild boar, or a buffalo.

Often they become prey to a crocodile, and. Crocodiles also eat monkeys, raccoons, and martens. If possible, they will not give up attacking any pets, whether it be, or a large one. cattle. Some crocodiles eat each other, that is, they do not disdain 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 victim, the crocodile's weapon is brute force. Large land animals, such as deer and buffalo, are guarded by a crocodile at a watering place, attack suddenly and drag it into the water, where the victim is unable to resist. Large fish, on the contrary, are dragged to shallow water, where it is easier to deal with prey.

Massive jaws of a crocodile easily crush the skull of a buffalo, and strong head jerks and a special “deadly spin” technique instantly tear the prey apart. Crocodiles do not know how to chew, therefore, having killed the victim, they twist pieces of suitable flesh with powerful jaws and swallow it whole. Crocodiles eat quite a lot: one meal can be up to 23% of the mass of the predator itself. Often, crocodiles hide part of their prey, but the stock is not always preserved, and is often consumed by other predators.

  • The crocodile belongs to the crocodile family, the alligator belongs to the alligator family. In this case, both reptiles belong to the order crocodiles.
  • The main difference between a crocodile and an alligator is in the structure of the jaw and the arrangement of the teeth. When the mouth is closed, the crocodile always sticks out one or a pair of teeth on the lower jaw, while the upper jaw of the alligator completely covers the predatory grin.

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

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

What is the difference between a crocodile and a gharial?

  • Both the crocodile and the gharial belong to the order of crocodiles. But the crocodile belongs to the crocodile family, and the gharial belongs to the gavial family.
  • The crocodile has salt glands located on the tongue, and special lacrimal glands in the eye area: through them, excess salts are excreted from the body of the crocodile. This factor allows the crocodile to live in salty sea water. Gavial does not possess such glands, therefore it is a resident of absolutely fresh water bodies.
  • The crocodile is easy to distinguish from the gharial by the shape of the jaws: the gharial has rather narrow jaws, which is justified by hunting only for fish. The crocodile is the owner of 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 the caught fish in its mouth. Depending on the species, the crocodile has 66 or 68 teeth, but the gharial boasts 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 pond only to lay eggs and to bask a little in the sun. The crocodile is in the water for about a third of its life, preferring the body of water to dry land.
  • Crocodiles and gharials differ very slightly in their dimensions. Gharial males 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, mature males of some species of crocodiles often reach 7 meters in length. In terms of weight, the crocodiles win this round: the combed 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 crocodile order, caimans belong to the alligator family, while crocodiles belong to the crocodile 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.

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

The 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 underwater crocodile, man-eating crocodile, salty, estuarine, and Indo-Pacific crocodile. Length combed crocodile can reach 7 meters with a weight of 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 crocodile is dominated by pale yellow-brown colors, and dark stripes and spots are distinguishable 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. Salted 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. Crocodile food is any prey that a predator can catch. It can be large land animals: buffaloes, leopards, grizzlies, antelopes, pythons, monitor lizards. Also, medium-sized mammals often become prey of a crocodile: wild boars, tapirs, dingoes, kangaroos, many species of monkeys, including orangutans. Domestic animals can also become prey: goats, and. From birds, mainly waterfowl species, as well as marine and freshwater, and many species fall into the mouth of the combed crocodile. Crocodile cubs feed on aquatic invertebrates, insects and small fish. Older individuals freely eat poisonous cane toads, big fish and crustaceans. Salted crocodiles occasionally practice cannibalism, never missing an opportunity to eat small or weak representatives of their species.

  • blunt-nosed crocodile(lat. Osteolaemus tetraspis)- this is the most little crocodile in the world. body length adult is only 1.5 meters. The male weighs about 80 kg, the female crocodiles weigh about 30-35 kg. The color of the back of the reptile is black, the belly is yellow, with black spots. Unlike other types of crocodiles, the reptile has skin that is well armored with hard growth plates, which compensates for the lack of growth. Blunt-nosed crocodiles live in the fresh waters of West Africa, shy and secretive, lead night image life. They feed on fish and carrion.

  • Nile crocodile(lat. Crocodylus niloticus)- the largest reptile family after the combed 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, there are dark stripes on the back and tail. The reptile is one of 3 species found in Africa and is unparalleled in water element. Even on land, conflict over prey, such as with lions, is a tug-of-war, and the crocodile still wins. - 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 kinds of domesticated animals become the prey of a crocodile. Especially large individuals attack buffaloes, and young African elephants. Young Nile crocodiles eat amphibians: African toad, changeable reed grass and goliath frog. The cubs 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 a crocodile is olive green, sometimes it is dark green. The weight of the male reaches 350 kg, the weight of the 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 range of the species passes 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 member of the family. The species is distinguished by a narrow, characteristically pointed muzzle. 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 North and South America. Sharp-snouted crocodiles eat most species of freshwater and marine fish. Birds make up a significant part of the diet: pelicans, flamingos,. With a certain frequency, crocodiles eat marine and livestock. Young reptiles feed on crabs, as well as insects and their larvae.

  • Australian narrow-nosedcrocodile (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 back and tail of the crocodile. A population of about 100 thousand individuals inhabits fresh water bodies of northern Australia. The Australian narrow-nosed crocodile feeds mainly on fish. An insignificant part of the diet of adults is made up of waterfowl and small mammals.

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

  • Mississippi alligator (American alligator) (lat. Alligator mississippiensis) - big reptile(reptile), the 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 is cold tolerant and can hibernate by freezing its body into ice and leaving only its nostrils on the surface. These alligators live in fresh water 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, from 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 albinos. True, the white crocodile is rarely found in nature.

White crocodile (albino)

  • - a small species of alligators, which is also a 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. 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 outgrowth between the eyes, shaped like glasses. The little caiman has yellow bodies with black spots, an adult crocodile has olive green skin. The reptile has the widest range of all alligators. Caiman inhabits low-lying, stagnant bodies of fresh or salt water from Mexico and Guatemala to the Dominican Republic and Bahamas. Due to its small size, the caiman feeds on molluscs, medium-sized fish, freshwater crabs as well as small reptiles and mammals. Hardened individuals occasionally attack large amphibians and, for example, as well as wild boars and even other caimans.

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