Many species are at the risk of extinction, some being classified as critically endangered. They separated from other crocodilians during the Eocene epoch, about 55 million years ago. All crocodiles are tropical species that, unlike alligators, are very sensitive to cold. They are carnivorous animals, feeding mostly on vertebrates such as fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, and sometimes on invertebrates such as molluscs and crustaceans, depending on species and age. All crocodiles are semiaquatic and tend to congregate in freshwater habitats such as rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water and saltwater. However, they have many similarities in these areas as well. Ĭrocodile size, morphology, behaviour and ecology differ somewhat among species. Another trait that separates crocodiles from other crocodilians is their much higher levels of aggression. Crocodiles have more webbing on the toes of the hind feet and can better tolerate saltwater due to specialized salt glands for filtering out salt, which are present, but non-functioning, in alligators. For hard-to-distinguish specimens, the protruding tooth is the most reliable feature to define the species' family. Also, when the crocodile's mouth is closed, the large fourth tooth in the lower jaw fits into a constriction in the upper jaw. Another obvious trait is that the upper and lower jaws of the crocodiles are the same width, and the teeth in the lower jaw fall along the edge or outside the upper jaw when the mouth is closed therefore, all teeth are visible, unlike an alligator, which possesses in the upper jaw small depressions into which the lower teeth fit. The most obvious external differences are visible in the head, with crocodiles having narrower and longer heads, with a more V-shaped than a U-shaped snout compared to alligators and caimans. The gharial, with its narrow snout, is easier to distinguish, while morphological differences are more difficult to spot in crocodiles and alligators. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia, which includes the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae), the gharial and false gharial (family Gavialidae) among other extinct taxa.Īlthough they appear similar, crocodiles, alligators and the gharial belong to separate biological families. Will our crocodile find his perfect home amongst Italian high-society? Or will he be revealed as an impasta? Pack away your pasta-Crocodile is heading to Italy in this long-awaited sequel to Fred Marcellino's award-winning I, Crocodile.Crocodiles ( family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Surely Napoleon wouldn't mind if Crocodile hitched a ride out of Paris. "NAPOLEON TO TOUR ITALY: FIRST STOP, VENICE" Perhaps one with an excess of canals and better food. If only Napoleon had taken Crocodile to a more aquatic reptile-friendly city. Can a hungry crocodile trick-and eat!-his way through Italian high society? Pack away your pasta-Crocodile is heading to Italy in this long-awaited sequel to Fred Marcellino's award-winning I, Crocodile.įirst that dastardly Napoleon kidnapped Crocodile from his beloved Egypt, then he dragged him to Paris to be gawked at, and THEN he tried to eat him! Luckily our dear croc escaped, but while Parisian life may be glamorous, life in Paris's sewers is not.
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