Habitat of crocodiles. Interesting facts about crocodiles. Nevertheless, frankly gigantic individuals are often found among them, for example

The great grebe (lat. Podiceps cristatus) is a waterfowl from the grebe family (Podicipidae) of the order Podicepediformes. It is also called grebe. It got its Russian name due to the specific taste of its meat, which has a strong smell of stale fish.

Nevertheless, in Russia, the toadstool was previously widely used as food and was even considered a delicacy among local gourmets. During its preparation, it was necessary to carefully remove subcutaneous fat and use a long soak in water or marinade.

In Great Britain in the 19th century, grebe feathers were used to decorate women's hats and collars. In 2001, in Germany and Austria, the great grebe was recognized as the bird of the year.

Spreading

Grebe is widely distributed in the territory from South-Eastern Europe and North Africa to the northern regions of China, with the exception of mountainous areas. The European population of birds winters in the Mediterranean basin, and the Asian one in India.

Relatively small populations are found in Australia and New Zealand. In the presence of non-freezing water bodies, this species is able to do without seasonal migrations.

Behavior

The great grebe is diurnal and may also be active at night during the full moon. It feeds on various types of small fish. Usually, a fish 10 to 15 cm long becomes its trophy. Some particularly voracious individuals can cope with prey 25 cm long.

In search of prey, the great grebe is able to dive to a depth of 30 m.

During active diving loses the ability to fly. Birds usually fly only at night. In addition to fish, the toadstool diet includes frogs, insects, spiders and snails. During the day, she eats about 200 g of food.

The grebe most often settles on lakes and rates with temperate vegetation, less often chooses small rivers for habitation. Prefers to be in open water. The Asian population has adapted to life on salt marshes and salt lakes. During seasonal migrations, it stops at the sea coast.

reproduction

In Europe, grebes return from their wintering grounds in March-April. Mating games always take place in the water and have an intricate ritual. Birds swim to meet their chosen one, fluffing their feathers around their outstretched necks, and rhythmically shaking their heads.

Having approached, they take a vertical position, press their chests against each other and resemble little penguins. Holding bundles of seaweed in their beaks, they offer them as a wedding gift.

Large grebes build floating nests up to 45 cm in diameter and up to 65 cm in height from dead vegetation, attaching them to water plants. Usually, each nest is located far from the nests of relatives and looks out 3-10 cm above the water level. Sometimes birds nest in colonies of up to 100 pairs.

The female lays 3-4 white matte eggs with a frequency of 2 days. Due to contact with rotting aquatic plants, they soon acquire a brown or olive color. Incubation lasts from 24 to 29 days. Parents change each other on the masonry every three hours.

Chicks are born well developed and pubescent. Their fur is very thick and soft. They can swim within minutes of their birth, but wisely choose to hide among the warm feathers on their mother's back for the first 3 weeks of their lives.

Chicks remain under parental care for 10 to 11 weeks. Their parents feed them small invertebrates, snails and small fish. Periodically, chicks, imitating their parents, swallow small parental feathers. In this way they learn to get rid of fish scales.

Juvenile birds lack the characteristic crests of adults. Their head and neck are covered with white and black feathers. The back is dyed brown. Chicks become sexually mature at the age of one. Birds can raise two broods during one season.

Description

The body length is 50-58 cm, and the wingspan reaches 80 cm. The weight ranges from 0.8 to 1.1 kg. The neck is long and white. There are two dark bronze tufts on the head.

The top of the body is dark bronze, the sides have a bronze-rusty tint. The chest is white. When flying, white feathers are visible on the upper side of the wings. The tail is short and wide.

The life expectancy of a large toadstool in natural conditions reaches 20 years.

My little brother really likes crocodiles. All his books are about crocodiles, things - with painted crocodiles, and among the toys there are solid rubber and plastic green reptiles. It is he who initiates me from time to time into the intricacies of crocodile life.

Where does the scary crocodile live?

They call the crocodile scary for a reason. Its huge mouth with sharp teeth, if it slams, it won't seem enough. In Australia people die every year from skirmishes with crocodiles, because crocodiles sometimes swim from their freshwater reservoirs to the salty resort seas. Especially it concerns Nile and African crocodiles. Therefore, going to the sea to the following countries, one must be afraid not only of sharks, but also of crocodiles:

• Mexico;
• Ecuador;
• Central America;
• Cuba;
• Peru.

The largest concentration of adults is observed in swamps and rivers.

Australian saltwater crocodile

This reptile deserves special attention, because all crocodiles are dangerous, but combed crocodiles especially. Their species is the largest coastal predator - about 7 m long and weighing about 2 tons. They are found in warm waters the following countries:

• India;
• Indonesia;
• Philippines;
• Australia.

In nutrition, crocodiles are not particularly picky. They may not eat for months. But if they go hunting, then on large animals: antelopes, gazelles, monkeys, snakes etc. They can also catch smaller animals, but due to their size and sluggishness, this is unprofitable for them. It takes a lot of time to hunt, and in the end it turns out little food.

But the diet of young and newborn crocodiles very different from the diet of adults. Young people prefer the following:

• small fish and frogs;
• crustaceans, crabs and mollusks;
• water birds;
• lizards.

Do crocodiles have enemies

Crocodiles stand at the top of the food chain, and they have no enemies in nature. Average crocodiles live 70 years. But not everyone lives to a natural death. Because the crocodile is a valuable trophy for man and his beauty needs. From crocodile skin make bags, belts, boots.

People also catch crocodiles for food. His meat is considered a gourmet delicacy. I don't know if I could eat a boiled crocodile...

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I can’t say that I am a big thrill-seeker, but I found out about one place that I wanted to visit. In Australia Darwin has a crocodile park called Crocosaurus Cove. And in this park there is an “entertainment” called “Cage of Death”. A small cage made of durable glass is lowered into a special large aquarium, where huge crocodiles swim freely. The entertainment lies in the fact that a person is in this cage, and from a distance of a couple of tens of centimeters from himself, he observes predators clattering with their mouths. Sounds tempting. Truth?

Where do crocodiles live

Crocodiles love warmth, humidity, water and tropical climates. Accordingly, the main habitats of crocodiles are:

• Philippine Islands.
• Africa.
• Japanese islands.
• North Australia.
• Some bodies of water South and North America.

Now, before traveling to the sea, I will always first of all study the question of the possible presence of crocodiles. Because far from always crocodiles live in fresh water. There are species of crocodiles that great in salt water, such are combed and sharp-snouted crocodiles.

combed crocodile the largest in the world, up to 7 meters in length and up to 2 tons in weight, the most dangerous predator. It lives in rivers that flow into the seas, and can swim into the sea itself, hunting there, among other things, dolphins and white sharks.

Crocodile farms

Crocodiles are valued not only in Australia. And in Thailand, there are quite a few crocodile farms where predators are grown specifically for cooking crocodile meat dishes (it is considered especially tasty meat of the Nile crocodile, and of an adult), and for the manufacture of various products from crocodile skin, which are very expensive.

Crocodiles and their smaller dinosaur brothers

Crocodiles are the most ancient predators on the planet.

They are relatives, so to speak, dinosaurs. At the same time, they lived in those times when dinosaurs, and according to some scientists, despite family ties, could eat each other a little. More precisely, it was crocodiles who hunted dinosaurs more often, and not vice versa.

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My first such close acquaintance with cold-blooded animals happened in Thailand, in the tourist city of Pattaya. It was in this city that I visited the crocodile farm. In addition to getting to know the animals, I also went to their show program. It turns out "toothy" trainable and can carry out a wide variety of commands from their trainers.

Where do crocodiles live

If speak about Thailand, then representatives of aquatic fauna can be found on wetlands of rivers and lakes on the mainland. The average age of the local reptiles is 100 years. As for their size, they grow throughout life. Imagine every year after floods, hundreds of crocodiles are thrown out of their usual habitats. After that, the "critters" go on a "free" swimming. Therefore, after the floods, know that crocodiles can be found anywhere. But it’s not at all necessary to go to swampy rivers to get acquainted with crocodiles, but all because crocodiles can be seen on special farms. Crocodile farm in Pattaya is located within the city. I went to the farm on an excursion program, which, by the way, was free. The area where crocodiles live is more like a park where, in addition to crocodiles, you can see a beautiful garden of trees, ancient stones of incredible beauty, pools with fish and even enclosures with other animals. Crocodiles live in lakes surrounded by a metal enclosure. What crocodiles can be seen on the territory:

• combed;
• Siamese;
• gavial.

By the way, the last species of reptiles does not pose a threat to humans. Also, it is in this country that it is forbidden to sell bags, wallets, key rings made of the skin of this crocodile ... Yes, I almost forgot, crocodiles on this farm, for a fee, can feed chicken. I recommend checking your reaction! The chicken is tied to a rope and you need to try to tease the "toothy". Make it so that he first, and maybe the second time, clicks his teeth before he has time to eat the chicken. Adrenaline, emotions just go wild!!!

Crocodile character

It turns out that crocodiles are very intelligent animals. They cannot be called a thoughtless colossus, in whose head is the goal - to kill and eat. Main character traits:

• malleable;
• communicable;
• emotional;
• extrovert.

Besides, crocodilesknow how to trust. Naturally, not to everyone passing by, but for example, to his trainer. A person who loves an animal and treats it with respect.

What irritates the psyche of crocodiles

Reptiles appear to do not tolerate foreign odors. Therefore, before each entry into the room with crocodiles, the trainer must splash oneself with water. Otherwise, you can become lunch or dinner for the animal.

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I have always been both frightened and captivated by modern dinosaurs - crocodiles. These animals outlived their ancient ancestors and perfectly adapted to modern conditions. Fortunately, I can only meet a crocodile in a zoo or see it on TV. But there are places where people and crocodiles are forced to coexist side by side.

Where can you meet a crocodile

Crocodiles can be found in all tropical regions of Africa, America, Asia and Australia. They are not available only in Europe. They live in fresh water, but there are some species, such as the combed crocodile, which are great tolerate salt water. All modern crocodiles spend most of their lives in the water. But aboutlay eggs they on the land. This is due to the fact that the ancient crocodiles lived on land and only after some time began to live in the water. These aquatic reptiles are divided into three families:

• real crocodiles;
• alligators;
• gharials.

Each of the families of crocodiles is further divided into separate species. There are 23 of them in total.

Survive at any cost

After the extinction of the dinosaurs there were no natural enemies left for crocodiles. Lions, tigers, bears and other land predators had a slightly different habitat, so they could not exterminate them. Crocodiles have lived in the tropics and subtropics for millions of years, and their appearance has remained unchanged. the onlythem enemym became cheLovek. He kills crocodiles not only because of fear, but because of the durable skin from which handbags, shoes and other leather products are sewn.

All families of crocodiles differ from each other in body structure, muzzle and teeth. But their body is not perfect. Crocodile cannot survive in cold climates and in cold water. He is not able to regulate his body temperature, so he maintains it by plunging into water or basking in the warm sun.

Crocodiles - orderlies of reservoirs where they live. They clean them from weak and sick animals, and also destroy corpses. The crocodile grows all his life, and he can live up to100 years. These reptiles swim at a speed of 40 km / h. They run even slower - 11 km / h. But they can jump out of the water by as much as 2 meters.

The jaws of the crocodile close with great force. But if you tie the jaw with ordinary tape, he will not be able to open the jaw. A crocodile changes its teeth up to 100 times in a lifetime. The world's largest crocodile can be found in India and the Fiji Islands. Its length reaches 7 meters. This is a saltwater crocodile.

A crocodile is a semi-aquatic vertebrate wild animal, belongs to the chordate type, reptile class, crocodile order (Crocodilia).

The predator got its Russian name thanks to the Greek word “crocodilos”, which literally means “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.

In 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 diverse.

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, martens and. With the opportunity to have a bite, they will not refuse to attack any pets, whether it be, or 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 hole, attacked suddenly and dragged 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 “death 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 the crocodile is pointed and has the shape of the English letter V, the muzzle of the alligator 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 spends the maximum time in the water, leaving the reservoir only to lay eggs and 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 reach 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(Crocodylidae). Some of its varieties are of particular interest:

• Saltwater crocodile (saltwater crocodile)(Crocodylus porosus)

the largest 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. The length of the combed 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. The appearance of the 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, horses, and. From birds, mainly waterfowl species, as well as sea and freshwater turtles, dolphins, and many types of sharks 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, large fish and crustaceans. Salted crocodiles occasionally practice cannibalism, never missing an opportunity to eat small or weak representatives of their species.

• blunt-nosed crocodile(Osteolaemus tetraspis)

it is the smallest crocodile in the world. The body length of an 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 a nocturnal lifestyle. They feed on fish and carrion.

• Nile crocodile(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 the 3 species that live in Africa and have no equal in the 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. Particularly 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(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 are various types of fish, amphibians, small reptiles. In rare cases, the crocodile feeds on rodents and carrion.

• Sharp-snouted crocodile(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 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 sea turtles and livestock. Young reptiles feed on crabs, snails, as well as insects and their larvae.

• Australian narrow-nosedcrocodile ( 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. A small part of the diet of adults is amphibians, waterfowl, snakes, lizards and small mammals.

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

• Mississippi alligator (American alligator) (Alligator mississippiensis)

a large 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 the fresh waters of 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 turtles; mammals eat nutria, muskrats and raccoons. Alligator babies eat worms, snails, and 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)

• Chinese alligator ( Alligator sinensis)

a small species of alligator, 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. They feed on small birds and mammals, fish, snakes, and molluscs.

• crocodile (spectacled) caiman(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 species of crocodile is distinguished by a narrow muzzle and a characteristic bone growth between the eyes, resembling glasses in shape. A small caiman has a yellow body color with black spots, an adult crocodile has olive green skin. The reptile has the widest range of all alligators. Caiman lives in low-lying, stagnant fresh or salt water bodies from Mexico and Guatemala to the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Due to its small size, the caiman feeds on mollusks, medium-sized fish, freshwater crabs, as well as small reptiles and mammals. Hardened individuals occasionally attack large amphibians and snakes, for example, as well as wild boars and even other caimans.

• black caiman(Melanosuchus niger)

one of the largest reptiles. The length of the body of a mature male can exceed 5.5 m, and the body weight can be more than 500 kg. From the eyes along the entire length of the muzzle runs a pronounced bony ridge, typical of all caimans. The modern population, consisting of about 100 thousand individuals, lives in large rivers and lakes of South America. Adult black caimans eat large amounts of fish, including turtles and snakes. But the bulk of the food is made up of mammals: deer, capybaras, peccaries, coatis, sloths, armadillos, river dolphins, Brazilian otters. In some areas of the range, the usual food of reptiles is various domestic animals, including cattle. Young caimans feed on snails, frogs and small fish species.

gavial family(Gavialidae) consists of several genera and only 2 extant species:

• Gangetic gharial(Gavialis gangeticus)

a large representative of the detachment with a body growing up to 6 meters in length. Gharials, unlike real crocodiles, have a lighter constitution, so the weight of an adult usually does not exceed 200 kg. Gharials are distinguished by the characteristically narrow shape of the jaws, conveniently adapted for catching fish, as well as the maximum number of teeth - up to 100 pieces. Gharials live in the pools and knees of the rivers of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The species is listed in the Red Book as especially rare; it 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 eat carrion with pleasure. Reptile babies are content with invertebrates.

• gharial crocodile(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 it 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 in females to 210 kg in males. This species of reptiles has the status of endangered. 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 partially consumes fish, shrimp and small vertebrates. Despite the narrow snout, the basis of the predator's diet is pythons and other snakes, monitor lizards, turtles, monkeys, wild pigs, deer and otters.