The Nile crocodile is a merciless killer.

The Nile crocodile is a representative of the class of Reptiles. This animal is one of the most ancient, unique, and dangerous on the planet. The predator is rightfully called the “king of the river” because there are practically no equals to it in strength and adaptability. In this article you will find a description and photos of the Nile crocodile, you can learn a lot about this strong and greatest predator.

What does the Nile crocodile look like?

The Nile crocodile looks intimidating and belongs to the Crocodile family. He is huge, very strong and perfectly camouflaged. The predator has short legs that are located on the sides of the body, scaly skin, a long combed tail and powerful jaws. The eyes, ears and nostrils of a crocodile are at the top of the head. Also, the reptile has exceptionally good hearing and vision.

The Nile crocodile looks inconspicuous due to its coloration. Juveniles are usually gray or light brown in color and have dark stripes on the back and tail. The older the individual becomes, the darker the color becomes. The belly of the reptile has a yellow tint. It moves quickly in the water because it has a massive muscular tail that serves as a kind of accelerator for the Nile crocodile. It occupies almost half the length of the entire body of the reptile.

The jaw of the Nile crocodile contains 65 teeth and is one of the strongest on the planet. The predator can easily hold large animals and crush the bone.

Thanks to the sensory organs located on the top of the head, the crocodile can almost completely dive into the water. This allows the animal to camouflage itself in the water, leaving only the eyes and the tip of the nose on the surface, while its large and long body is hidden under water.

The Nile crocodile looks massive and is the largest crocodile. This predator is the second largest crocodile in the world. The males of the Nile crocodile are significantly larger than the females.

The average size of adult males ranges from 3 to 5 meters in length. In this case, body weight varies from 300 to 700 kg. Individual males can reach over 6 meters in length and weigh over a ton. The average size of females varies from 2 to 4 meters, with a body weight of 200 to 500 kg. But there are also some larger females.

Where does the Nile crocodile live? Behavioral Features

The Nile crocodile lives in Africa and is one of the largest crocodiles on this continent. It inhabits freshwater lakes, rivers and swamps almost throughout the entire territory of the African continent. It is most prevalent in African countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Zambia and Ethiopia. The number of the Nile crocodile is quite high and stable, but in some countries of the continent this species is endangered.

The Nile crocodile lives in calm waters, with sandy coastal areas. Not often it can be found at a considerable distance from the reservoir. This is usually associated with the search for a new habitat, as well as if the reservoir dries up. Most often, the crocodile crawls on its stomach, but can run short distances at speeds up to 14 km / h.

An alligator can weigh up to 1000 pounds!

The Nile crocodile is very experienced and successful in swimming. It usually dives for 2–3 minutes, but can stay underwater for 30 minutes to 2 hours. It submerges completely and silently under the water, forcing the air out of its large lungs. The Nile crocodile swims very fast underwater. The tail helps to develop speed in water up to 30 km / h. Its ears, nose and throat are protected by valves, and its eye is covered with a thin transparent film. This predator has special receptors throughout the body. Thanks to this he easily picks up the vibrations of the water and finds with what force and where they come from.

The Nile crocodile lives leisurely — they are usually quite slow creatures, like many other cold-blooded animals. Most of the time they are on the shore or in shallow water, keeping their jaws open to avoid overheating. Also, the opening of the mouth is a sign of threat to other crocodiles. Nile crocodiles are highly hostile and territorial predators.

Crocodiles can hibernate in summer, which lasts from May to August. To do this, they dig a hole on the bank of the river. Once underground, where it is dark and cool, the animal’s body temperature drops, and metabolism, respiration, and heart rate slow down. In this state, energy is consumed minimally. So the crocodile will be able to save enough strength until he needs them.

For many centuries, a large Nile crocodile lives on the planet causing horror, because it is able to instantly and cruelly kill both animals and people. Among other animals, the Nile crocodile has no enemies. Only man is opposed to the predator. They are hunted for their skin.

The Nile crocodile, combining its large size and high level of aggression, creates a very high probability of attacking a person. They live close to the underdeveloped population and often comes into contact with people. It can attack a person when he stands in the water near the shore, crosses shallow water, crosses a body of water, or puts his feet into the water from a ship or pier.

Less commonly, especially large and hungry Nile crocodiles can capsize a boat or even attack on land. Fishermen and people whose activities are related to water are most at risk. Also, careless hunters, tourists, and travelers become victims of crocodiles.

Nile crocodiles often attack humans, while they are not afraid of people, and perceive them as potential food. Very dangerous are female crocodiles who protect their cubs. Anyone who tries to get close to the offspring will be eaten.

What does the Nile crocodile eat and how does it hunt?

Adult crocodiles are at the top of the food chain — there are no predators that would threaten them. This prehistoric animal eats everyone and everything in its path. The Nile crocodile is one of the strongest predators in the world. The Nile crocodile eats quite diversely. The crocodile is practically omnivorous. And the older and larger it is, the more food it needs and the larger its prey becomes.

Juveniles can make do with large fish and birds. As it gets older, the Nile crocodile feeds on larger animals that come to drink or cross the river. These are zebras, African buffaloes, and wildebeests. It can attack elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, and even lions. Nile crocodiles hunt by submerging themselves completely or leaving only their eyes and nostrils on the surface. He always attacks unexpectedly, jumping out of the water and almost instantly grabbing his prey.

In the water, the Nile crocodile is highly agile, using stealth, receptors, and strength to locate and capture its prey. It is virtually impossible to escape from it. It bites with an impressive force of 1 ton and tries to drown the victim. The jaws of the reptile are equipped with muscles that contract super fast, which makes the bite lightning fast and allows the jaws to snap at a speed of 9 m / s.

The Nile crocodile attacks prey at close range. It approaches and waits until the prey is within 2 meters of it. The crocodile jumps out of the water at a speed of 12 m / s, and its scaly skin makes it easier to maneuver in the water. The hind legs work like pistons and help push off the river bottom, and the long tail allows you to accelerate in the direction of the prey.

Their ability to successfully camouflage themselves underwater, combined with their high speed and explosive strength, so that’s why Nile crocodiles are excellent big game hunters. They can tolerate each other side by side and work as a group when attacking large prey.

The teeth of the Nile crocodiles allow you to hold the victim’s body in the mouth and pierce it, but they do not know how to chew. However, this is not a disadvantage — the huge bite force and body power allow Nile crocodiles to easily break bones and cut through the body of a large animal, bite off limbs and drown. From a large carcass, they tear off pieces and swallow whole. Their stomach is adapted for the digestion of large food, in which anything is dissolved, because of the high concentration of hydrochloric acid.

When a group of Nile crocodiles divides large prey, some of them hold the carcass, while others rotate around their axis, pulling out large pieces of meat from it. This is called “death rotation”. Relatively small animals, Nile crocodiles mercilessly swallow whole. On land, they are less mobile. They have a relatively slow metabolism and can go a long time without food. But if the opportunity presents itself, the Nile crocodile can eat half of its weight at a time.

Baby Nile Crocodile — Baby Crocodile Survival

During the mating season, males attract females in every possible way, making various movements and making various noises. Nile crocodiles become capable of breeding at the age of 10–12 years, reaching a body length of 3 meters for males and 2 meters for females. Large males are usually more attractive to females.

Egg laying time is from September to December. Sandy beaches and river banks are chosen for building nests. 2 months after a successful mating season, the female digs a hole up to 50 cm deep two meters from the shore and lays an average of 40–60 eggs.

After laying eggs, the female buries the nest for 3 months. She attacks anyone who tries to get close to the nest. Despite such protection, many nests are destroyed by other animals if the female leaves. When hatching, the Nile crocodile cubs begin to squeak and the mother breaks the nest. For many of them, the first moments of life are the last. Newborn Nile crocodile cubs have a body length of about 30 centimeters.

Nile crocodile babies are born at the very bottom of the food chain — anyone can eat them. The female carries her cubs from the nest in her mouth to the nearest body of water. The cartilages located in the mother’s mouth allow the jaw to be locked at any moment of closing and to regulate the tension. The female can even block her mouth, which is only 5 cm open, which allows her to carry up to 20 cubs at a time without ever biting them.

The female has to make several visits, leaving the cubs in danger. While the females are gone, other predators prey on them. Less than half of hatchlings will survive the first month of life. But the surrounding danger and the age of one month cannot keep the cubs of the crocodile from what is inherent in them by nature — hunting and killing from the very beginning of their lives. They attack everything small that moves — insects, frogs, fish, cubs immediately grab them.

The mother takes care of the offspring for two years but in two years, crocodiles reach a size of 1.2 m and leave their native places. They are looking for a more suitable place to live, while avoiding the territories of older and larger crocodiles. The life expectancy of Nile crocodiles averages 45–50 years, but there are centenarians up to 85 years old.

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