Nile Crocodiles
Published by The Nile Crocodile is the most feared crocodile in the world, and because of its habitat it comes in contact with people often. Two hundred people die on average a year in Africa because of coming in contact with these prehistoric beasts. Most of the attacks occur when villagers go to the river to wash their clothes. These creatures have survived the ice age and haven’t changed much since then either.
The Nile Crocodile
Image via flickr
The Nile Crocodile
Nile Crocodiles are carnivorous reptiles meaning they only eat meat they don’t eat fresh meat though, even though they are vicious killers, they store the meat until it is nearly rotten, they leave the kill underneath the water wedged under the river bank or caught up in reeds. The life span of a crocodile is in and around 70 to 100 years during this time they never stop growing the more they eat the more they grow, they can grow to about 16 feet on average. A group of crocodiles on land are known as a Bask simply because they like to bask in the sun in the water they are known as a float because they are floating.
Africa’s largest crocodiles have been measured at a staggering 20 feet and can weigh up to 750 kg’s, they inhabit the sub Saharan areas and the Nile basin they can also be found in fresh rivers and swamplands in Madagascar. The Nile Crocodiles diet is mainly fish but will attack anything that comes to the waters edge such as humans washing clothes, Zebras, lions, small hippos birds even porcupines, take it from me if anything big or small comes to the waters edge, will get snapped at. It will eat up to half its own body weight at a single feeding.
Image via flickr
With their fearful reputation they are actually caring for their young even the males will answer a distress call from a young . While other reptiles will lay their eggs while on the move the Nile Crocodiles will nest their young and will stand guard and protect it with their lives both mother and father, they have been filmed rolling the hatching egg in their mouths to help distressed hatch lings get out of the shell. They also can transport their young in their mouths. They can lay up to 50 eggs at a time sadly only 50% of these will survive due to storks and herrings and such other birds.
Hunters have forced these beasts to the edge of extinction in the forties and again in the sixties, protection agencies had to step in to save them from going extinct habitat loss has caused a great depletion in numbers throughout the years too.
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On February 22, 2009 at 2:30 am
Very interesting article, Stephen.
On February 22, 2009 at 7:59 am
Good information. Florida has its share of similar beasties. My aunt said that when she lived there, they had the back yard and pool fenced to keep the ‘gators out.
On February 22, 2009 at 10:03 am
A formidable predator, to say the least! Very well researched.
On February 22, 2009 at 8:55 pm
good read though im afraid to crocodiles… lolz!