Meet the Crocodile: Powerful Reptile, Fragile Future

Crocodiles are the largest reptiles on Earth. While most reptiles have very small brains, crocodiles have relatively large brains, making them more intelligence than other reptiles. They are cold-blooded animals and cannot tolerate extreme cold or heat. For this reason, they live in warm climates where harsh winters are not a threat. (An exception is the American alligator, which can withstand a bit of cold.)

When the water is too cool, crocodiles must warm up; they often haul out to a sunny spot to “sunbathe.” If the air gets too hot, they need to cool down by slipping back into cool water or lying in shade. They also cool themselves by holding their mouths opena for long periods. As moisture evaporates from the mouth, their bodies cool — much like dogs panting. It’s common to see a crocodile basking with its jaws agape for hours.

Powerful, Well-Adapted Hunters

Crocodiles are exceptionally strong reptiles, and their bodies are well suited to life in both water and on land. Their front feet have five toes for walking and their hind feet have four toes that act like paddles for swimming. Although their legs are relatively short and somewhat weak, they have a sturdy neck and a long, powerful tail which acts as their main engine in the water.

Their bodies are covered in hard, scaly armor, and the back bears bony plates (osteoderms) for protection. Their jaw-closing muscles are massive, giving them an extraordinary bite force, while the muscles that open the jaws are comparatively weak. There are those who say that a person could hold a crocodile’s mouth shut with bare hands, although of course this is not recommended.

Crocodiles have about 60 sharp, strong teeth used to seize prey. These are gripping/cutting teeth, not chewing teeth, as they tear prey into large chunks and swallow without chewing. As teeth wear down or fall out, new ones grow in, so a crocodile may replace up to 3,000 teeth over its lifetime.

Crocodiles are fearless ambush predators. A crocodile will lie motionless in the water, with only its eyes, ears, and nostrils exposed, and wait for prey — anything from livestock to wild animals, large or small, that approaches to drink. It grabs the victim with its jaws or feet and drags it into the water. Because crocodiles cannot run far, they rely on surprise, bursting from the water with such speed that prey often has no chance to react. People living near crocodile habitat learn to be extremely cautious when drawing water from rivers or streams.

From Egg to Hatchling

Female crocodiles typically remain near their nest to guard the eggs. If an intruder approaches, the mother will quickly drive it away. This vigilance is crucial as many large lizards and small mammals love to eat crocodile eggs; without the mother’s protection, few hatchlings would survive. In some places, only one in twenty-five hatchlings will reach adulthood.

After about 10 weeks of incubation, a fully formed baby crocodile is ready to hatch. Crocodile eggs have thick, hard shells, so the Creator endowed the hatchling with an “egg tooth”, which is a temporary, sharp projection on the snout that helps it crack the shell. This tooth falls off shortly after hatching. If a hatchling struggles to emerge, the mother may help crack the egg with her own teeth.

A newborn crocodile is about 20 cm (8 in) long. It grows quickly, roughly doubling in size in a year, and may add around 30 cm (1 ft) each year thereafter, continuing to grow throughout its life. Adult males can exceed 4.5 meters (15 ft) and 230 kg (507 lb), while females are generally smaller. Sizes vary widely among crocodilian species. Reports have even told of a saltwater crocodile near India measuring 9 meters (30 ft) and 450 kg (992 lb).

Does the Mother Eat Her Young?

Folklore paints the female crocodile in a bad light, with many tales claiming she eats her offspring. Observers have indeed seen a mother waiting patiently by the nest, moving in when the eggs hatch and appearing to swallow the hatchlings one by one. Long-term studies on the Nile and elsewhere, however, indicate otherwise.

The eggs incubate under a covering of soil, which dries and hardens. When the hatchlings emerge, they find themselves in a dark, sealed chamber and begin to call out. Hearing their cries, the mother breaks open the chamber, and the babies crawl into her mouth — but rather than eating them, she holds them in a throat pouch beneath her jaw. Once all the young are gathered, she carries them to the water, a safer environment, and then releases them one by one, alive and well. If the hatchlings had to walk to water on their own, predators would likely pick them off.

Once in the water, the young crocodiles quickly become independent feeders, and the mother does not need to bring them food.

Skins, Luxury Goods, and Conservation

The crocodile’s high-quality leather has long made it a target for hunters. Its skin became a prized material for luxury bags and shoes, driving prices — and hunting pressure, sky-high.

In some regions, crocodiles were wiped out entirely. It’s estimated that over the past 200 years, more than 2.5 million alligators were killed in Florida, USA alone.

Today, alligators are legally protected in several U.S. states, including Louisiana, Georgia, and South Carolina, with heavy penalties for illegal hunting. As enforcement increased, hunting declined sharply, and populations began to rebound.