Crocodile is different. African animals - crocodile

It is difficult to give a definite answer to the question of what crocodiles eat. The fact is that each variety of crocodiles has a special diet, but they are all carnivores, and the amount and frequency of food intake largely depends on the age of the individual.

In the vast majority of cases, crocodiles hunt animals at night - their excellent vision allows them to easily track prey and sneak up on it unnoticed. It must be said that not only small, but also very large animals can become prey for these predators - it is clear that the larger the individual, the more powerful opponents it can cope with.

What do crocodiles eat in the wild?

At a very early age, their diet consists of small insects and fish, which are abundant in water bodies. As they grow older, the “menu” expands, and crocodiles most often hunt birds, mammals and other animals. Since their jaws are not designed for chewing, they swallow the animal whole or in large parts. Meat that is too hard and which the crocodile cannot tear immediately, it drags to the bottom and waits until the prey becomes softer.

Most often, the crocodile's prey is animals coming to drink. These are mainly ungulates: antelope, zebra, buffalo, gazelle, deer, livestock. In addition to ungulates, he is not averse to eating fish, waterfowl, rodents, reptiles and amphibians. In a word, the crocodile’s menu includes a variety of food and the older the animal, the larger prey it prefers.

As for rotten meat and eating its own kind, such cases are very rare, although if the crocodile is hungry, then this option to cope with hunger is not excluded. In one meal, reptiles are able to eat about 23 percent of their own body weight, of which more than half is transformed into fat cells. This feature allows them to survive during periods of famine - crocodiles in their natural environment do not eat every day or even every week. The maximum period they can live without food is 1-1.5 years.

The older the crocodile, the less frequently it needs food. A young individual needs to eat food in the amount of 10% of its own weight per week, while 5% is enough for an adult crocodile.

What do crocodiles eat at the zoo?

In captivity, crocodiles are fed much more often - every other day or even every day, although from a health point of view this is harmful, since the process of digesting food takes them about 4-5 days. As for products, small crocodiles are fed mainly with laboratory mice, frogs, insects, and day-old chicks. Supplementing the diet with beef liver or just beef to provide sufficient calcium and vitamins, C and B1. To avoid intestinal blockage, rodents and birds are skinned, and fatty meat is completely excluded from the diet.

For 3 million years, this prehistoric animal has thrived, eating everything that comes its way. It is one of the strongest predators in the world, and also ranks second in length after the saltwater crocodile. It also has a reputation as a man-eating crocodile, which is why, in ancient times, it became a source of universal fear and worship.

Systematic position of the Nile crocodile:
Kingdom: Animalia
Type: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptiles or reptiles (Reptilia)
Order: Crocodiles (Crocodylia or Loricata)
Family: True crocodiles (Crocodylidae)
View: Nile crocodile(Crocodylus niloticus)

Description

The Nile crocodile is widespread in the countries of eastern and southern Africa such as Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia and Somalia. This specimen of crocodiles is quite large. Males reach lengths of up to 6 meters and weigh over 1200 kilograms. Females, on average, are 30% smaller than males. From the moment of their birth, each code, these crocodiles grow 30 centimeters and throughout their lives they never stop growing.

Favorite food of Nile crocodiles: wildebeest. Every year, antelope gallop through Kenya and Tanzania, eating short green grass. They travel up to 1,600 kilometers in search of green pastures, as millions of wildebeest need great amount grass, or rather up to 4 tons per day. And this path in search of food inevitably forces the wildebeest to cross twice a year. Mara River, where Nile crocodiles are already waiting for them. When the wildebeest reach the river, they do not immediately rush to cross it, because after weeks of travel, the antelopes are dehydrated, and the first thing they want is to drink. They are so thirsty that they do not notice that crocodiles are lurking just a few meters from their noses.

Crocodiles have excellent camouflage skills. If you look at a crocodile's head when it is in the water, all you will see is an inch of nostrils and eyes. It can submerge completely and silently, simply by displacing some air from its large lungs. Like sensitive submarine, it is designed to operate underwater. Its ears, nose and throat are protected by special strips of skin, and its eyes are covered with a thin transparent film. The crocodile kills prey only at close range. Approaching quietly, he waits until the wildebeest are within his reach, approximately 2 meters away from him. If the prey is further away, then the jump will most likely be unsuccessful. But if she is closer than 2 meters, then that’s a different story. A crocodile flies out of the water at a speed of 12 m/s. Serrated scales increase the area of ​​contact with water, which helps the crocodile maneuver better in it. Its hind legs act like pistons and give it enough momentum to push itself off the flat river terrain. But the real power lies in its lumpy, muscular tail, exactly half the length of its body, which helps it accelerate towards its prey faster than a jet plane. This way his jaw is where he needs it.

Crocodiles detect movements in the water thanks to hundreds of tiny bristle-like receptors located along the length of its body, especially in its jaws, which are directly connected by nerves to the brain. When waves generated by an animal in the water reach a crocodile, it can instantly calculate which side it hit harder and in what proportion. And if the source of this wave is nearby, then in 200 milliseconds, 2 times faster than we blink, it makes a dash and attacks.

When a Nile crocodile leaps out of the water and grabs its prey, it is virtually impossible to escape. Its jaw, containing 65 teeth, is one of the strongest on the planet. A crocodile bites with a force of 1 ton and 100 kilograms. This bite is stronger than the bite of a white shark. But unlike her, the crocodile does not tear its prey to pieces while it is still alive, it uses its jaws to first drown the victim. They are capable of handling a panicked animal weighing 225 kilograms, and represent one of the most advanced biomechanical structures. Fast-twitch muscles give all animals, including humans, bursts of speed and power, but this crocodile's jaw muscles contract super fast and produce 65% more power. The crocodile snaps its jaws at a lightning speed of 9 m/s, almost 4 times faster than a rattlesnake.

Wildebeest don't have many defenses against crocodiles. But one of them is simple number. Some of the wildebeest will be eaten by crocodiles, but most will avoid this. Crossing to the other bank, thousands of animals begin to panic, their hooves cannot cling to the mud and hundreds find themselves trampled while the herd tries to climb out onto the steep and slippery bank. These crocodiles are superbly designed and skilled hunters, but this prey doesn't even need to be hunted. There are so many dead that wildebeest carcasses form dams in the narrow parts of the river.

Death spin- this is the only way to dismember prey into pieces: one crocodile tightly grabs the prey, and the other begins to spin or somersault in the water. Sometimes 2 crocodiles spin in different directions until they tear a piece of meat in half. Crocodiles have no arms and therefore no leverage to tear wildebeest apart, so by rolling over once, twice or even three times, they apply over 200 kilograms of force, torque and enough tension to rip pieces off the carcass.

Tearing apart the prey is only half the meal. The crocodile's mouth is designed for a death grip, but it cannot chew. Its jaws cannot move from side to side, so the predator has to swallow huge pieces whole, and this is a huge burden on the digestive system. However, his stomach is designed specifically for this. Food, passing through the esophagus, enters a part of the stomach filled with small stones that the crocodile swallowed in advance. They rub against each other and grind up wildebeest parts. Then, the already small pieces are mixed with hydrochloric acid, in such a high concentration that it can corrode metal. But to protect its own stomach, the crocodile secretes an alkaline solution that neutralizes it. Therefore, the antelope is digested, but the crocodile itself is not.

During the wildebeest migration across the Mara River, one crocodile can eat enough meat to survive for 2 years. This is important because two weeks after arrival, the antelopes move away and times of hunger may set in. Especially for this case, the crocodile has a cunning trick: digging a hole near the river bank, it crawls inside, to where it is dark and cool. Then, through a unique bioengineering process, the crocodile can slow down its metabolism. In this state, he may look like he is dying, but he is not. The predator is simply in “standby mode” and this is called aestivation. For this process, it requires very little energy to live. His lungs are huge, but rationally designed. He may not breathe regularly, but 1-2 breaths every couple of minutes. In this case, the body temperature drops to ambient temperature. Underground it drops to 15 degrees and below, and this radically slows down its metabolism, including the heart, which does something extraordinary - it slows down from 40 beats per minute to 5. A crocodile can spend a year in this state. Like winter hibernation in mammals, summer hibernation allows the crocodile to conserve its strength until it really needs it.

Getting your own food is not always the most important thing. Sometimes the fate of the next generation comes first. Crocodiles reach sexual maturity at 10 years of age. They mate once a year. Each reproduction cycle takes 6 months: from the moment of conception until the mother leaves her cubs. The other 6 months she builds up the fat reserves she will need to endure this painful cycle. After mating, the female crocodile will spend the next 3 months of the incubation period focusing solely on her children, while not eating anything. Laying eggs is the most energy-consuming process a female will ever engage in. Especially if each egg contains food for her young. To survive, she will have to turn to fat reserves stored in her abdomen, behind her front legs and even at the base of her tail.

On average, crocodiles lay up to 50 eggs at a depth of 50 centimeters. A thin squeak indicates that crocodiles started hatching, all at once. But for many, the first moments of life will also be their last. Adult crocodiles are at the top of the food chain, as there are no predators that threaten them. But they are born at the very bottom of this chain. If newborn crocodiles want to survive, their mother needs to get them away from this dangerous place in water. She will carry them in her mouth. Its jaw has a series of cartilages that allow it to lock its mouth at any time it closes. The female can also regulate tension and block her mouth, which is closed only 5 centimeters, which allows her to carry 20 cubs at a time without accidentally biting them.

Over time, the female crocodile's own energy reserves become depleted. However, this mother has no time to hunt. She needs to constantly protect the cubs from danger. But even under the watchful eye of the crocodile, out of 50 cubs, only about 13 will survive the first month of their life. Every day without food takes another 1,200 calories from the crocodile. But even an unfavorable environment and an age of only 1 month cannot keep crocodiles from doing what nature intended for them - to hunt and kill from the very beginning of their lives. Newborns attack anything small enough that they can bite and that moves - these are insects, small frogs, small fish. Growing crocodiles should eat 5% of their body weight every week, and even at two weeks of age they already know a maneuver that will help them eat larger prey - the deadly spin. A few months later, a predator will appear in the pond from which the kids may not be able to escape: a fearsome hunter 3,000 times larger than them. This is the predator crocodiles least expect to encounter: their own mother. Eating her offspring is the last resort to obtain the energy she needs to survive and to protect the rest of the babies.

The Nile crocodile is active eater of people. More people have died from its teeth than from any other crocodile. The usual reason for this is people themselves. For example, swimming across a river infested with these dangerous predators, by boat or canoe. In this situation, the crocodile knows that you are an easy prey in this position and it costs nothing for such an animal weighing more than a ton to ram the boat, thereby throwing people into the water. The worst thing is that when the crocodile has already closed its jaws on a person’s body, it is practically impossible to save him (the person). Even if you shoot at a reptile, in this case you will only slightly wound it, since the scaly shell on the crocodile’s back protects it perfectly. One can only hope that the crocodile will, by some miracle, open its deadly jaws.

This species of reptile proved why Nile crocodiles are always successful and why they still retain the title of kings of the river.

CROCODILE
Squad CROCODILES(Crocodylia) - a family of reptiles. There are three species living in Africa. The narrow-snouted crocodile is endemic to Africa. Inhabits all major rivers of West Africa, Lake Tanganyika and the east of the mainland. The blunt-snouted (or dwarf) crocodile is found in central Africa. Nile crocodile - on the mainland and some islands.

Crocodiles occupy a special position among modern reptiles, being closer relatives of the extinct dinosaurs, which survived by almost 60 million years, and modern birds than other reptiles of our time. A number of features of the organization of crocodiles, and primarily the perfection of the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems, allow us to consider them the most highly organized of all living reptiles. The evolution of crocodiles, starting with the appearance of this group about 150 million years ago, went in the direction of increasing adaptation to the aquatic lifestyle and predation. The fact that crocodiles have survived to this day is often explained by their life in various fresh water bodies of the tropical and subtropical zones, that is, in places where conditions have changed little since the appearance of crocodiles.

The general body shape of the crocodile is lizard-shaped. They are characterized by a long, laterally compressed, high tail, membranes between the toes of the hind limbs, a long muzzle and a head flattened in the dorso-ventral direction. The forelimbs have five fingers, the hind limbs have four (there is no little finger). The nostrils, located at the front end of the muzzle, and the eyes are raised and located on the upper side of the head, which allows crocodiles to stay in the water near its surface, exposing only the eyes and nostrils to the air. The external auditory openings are closed with movable valves that protect the eardrums from mechanical damage when immersed in water. The body, tail and limbs of crocodiles are covered with large, regular-shaped horny scutes located on the back and stomach in regular rows. In the inner layer of skin (corium) under the horny scutes of the outer layer on the back and in some species on the belly, bone plates (osteoderms) develop, firmly connected to the horny scutes, forming a shell that well protects the crocodile’s body; on the head, osteoderms are fused with the bones of the skull.

Modern crocodiles inhabit various fresh water bodies. Relatively few species tolerate brackish water and are found in river estuaries (African narrow-snouted crocodile, Nile crocodile, American sharp-snouted crocodile). Only saltwater crocodile swims far into the open sea and was observed at a distance of 600 km from the nearest shore. Crocodiles spend most of the day in the water. They go out to the coastal shallows in the morning and in the late afternoon to warm up in the sun's rays.

Crocodiles hunt at night. Fish is an essential component of the diet of all crocodiles, but crocodiles eat any prey they can handle. Therefore, the set of foods changes with age: various invertebrates - insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms - serve as food for the young; larger animals hunt fish, amphibians, reptiles and aquatic birds. Adult crocodiles are able to cope with large mammals. There is a known case of the remains of a rhinoceros being found in the stomach of a Nile crocodile. Many species of crocodiles exhibit cannibalism - the devouring of smaller individuals by larger individuals. Crocodiles often eat carrion; some species hide the uneaten remains of the prey under an overhanging bank and later devour them half-decomposed. Crocodiles move in the water with the help of their tail. On land, crocodiles are slow and clumsy, but sometimes make significant journeys, moving several kilometers away from bodies of water. When moving quickly, crocodiles place their legs under their body (usually they are widely spaced), which rises high above the ground. Young Nile crocodiles can gallop at a speed of about 12 km per hour. Crocodiles lay eggs the size of chicken or goose eggs, covered with a calcareous shell. Number of eggs in clutch different types there are from 10 to 100. Some species bury their eggs in the sand, others lay them in nests made by the female from rotting vegetation. The female remains close to the clutch, protecting it from enemies. Young crocodiles, still inside the eggs, make croaking sounds at the time of hatching, after which the mother digs up the clutch, helping the offspring get out.

Crocodiles grow rapidly in the first 2-3 years of life, during which they reach crocodiles and gharials. sizes 1-1.5 m. With age, the growth rate decreases, and they add only a few centimeters in length per year. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 8-10 years. Crocodiles live up to 80 - 100 years. Adult crocodiles have few enemies, if you exclude humans. There have been cases of attacks by elephants and lions on crocodiles traveling overland from one body of water to another.

Widely distributed in Africa Nile Crocodile(Crocodylus niloticus). It can be found throughout Africa, except its northern part, in Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles . Most often it settles outside the forest, but also enters forest reservoirs. Reaches a length of 4-6 m. The cubs that have just hatched from eggs have a length of about 28 cm, by the end of the first year of life they reach 60 cm, by two years - 90 cm, at 5 years - 1.7 m, at 10 years - 2, 3 m and at 20 years old - 3.75 m. They spend the night in the water, and at sunrise they go out to the shallows and bask in the sun's rays. The midday, hottest hours are spent in the water, with the exception of cloudy days. In windy or inclement weather, they spend the night on the shore. The maximum duration of stay under water for animals about 1 m long is about 40 minutes; larger crocodiles can stay underwater for much longer. The food of the Nile crocodile is very varied and changes with age. In cubs up to 30 cm long, 70% of their food consists of insects. Larger individuals (about 2.5 m long) feed on fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and even larger ones feed on fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. Adult Nile crocodiles can attack large mammals such as buffalos and even rhinoceroses. Crocodiles lie in wait for animals near watering places, in water or on land in thick grass. In a number of areas, Nile crocodiles are dangerous to humans. Eggs are always laid in the dry season, when water levels are low. Females dig a hole in the sand up to 60 cm deep, where they lay 25-95 (on average 55-60) eggs. Incubation lasts about 90 days, during which the mother remains constantly at the nest, guarding the clutch. Apparently, the animal is not feeding at this time. By the time they hatch, the young crocodiles inside the eggs begin to make grunting sounds, which serve as a signal for the mother, who helps the cubs get out from under the sand and accompanies them to the water. At this time, the female can attack a person even on land. Hatching from eggs usually occurs after the first rains fall, with a rise in the water level in lakes and rivers, so that young crocodiles immediately find shelter and food in flooded reservoirs. After the young crocodiles emerge from the eggs, the mother leads them (according to Cott's observations) to the “nursery” she has chosen - a shallow body of water protected by vegetation. Here young crocodiles stay for about six weeks; all this time the mother remains with the brood, protecting it from attacks by predators. In the absence of a mother, crocodiles hatched from eggs often remain close to the nest, where they are usually exterminated by predators - goliath herons, marabou, kites. Numerous cases of cannibalism (devouring eggs and young individuals) are known, which is usually considered a mechanism for regulating the population of the species: it is noted that cannibalism occurs more often, the higher the number of crocodiles. The number of Nile crocodiles has fallen everywhere and continues to fall. IN ancient Egypt crocodiles were revered as sacred animals; now they are almost exterminated. The same fate will befall crocodiles in a number of places in Central and East Africa unless measures are taken to protect the species

The question of what a crocodile eats is quite difficult to answer. This is because the diet depends on the type of animal. There are frugivorous individuals. The amount of food consumed, and frequency, indicates the age of the reptile.

Diet of a crocodile in the wild

As already mentioned, the amount of food consumed depends on the age of the animal. Crocodiles no larger than 20 centimeters are born. Their first food:

• Shellfish.
• Worms.
• Crustaceans.
• Various insects.

Having gained a little weight, increasing in size, food also becomes larger:

• Turtles.
• Birds.
• Rodents.
• Snakes and lizards.
• Amphibians.
• Fish.

When they are old enough, crocodiles begin hunting mammals. Most often these are small individuals, monkeys, wild boars, and lemurs. Large reptiles can attack antelope, zebra, and even buffalo. In a case recorded, remains of a rhinoceros were found in the stomach of a Nile crocodile.

It is possible that the crocodile may feed on carrion. In some situations, a larger individual can absorb a smaller one.

The unique quality of crocodile is the presence of high acidity in the stomach. This makes it possible to digest not only bones, but also thorns and shells.

The younger generation can absorb 10% of their own weight in food per day, an adult up to 5%.

Very often, reptiles can feast on the first thing that catches their eye. In captivity, in rare cases there have been cases where individuals ate each other.

The jaw of a crocodile is built in such a way that animals do not chew the food they come across. They tear the victim into pieces and swallow it in parts. Sometimes, reptiles hide food, wait until it becomes soft, and then eat it.

Very often, an animal that comes to drink water becomes a victim of a crocodile:

• Antelope.
• Zebra.
• Gazelle.
• Buffalo.
• Cattle (domestic), etc.

If there is no large food nearby, the animal will feed on birds, mammals, and rodents. Therefore, we can safely say that the crocodile’s diet is quite varied. The older the animal, the larger the size of its prey.

The crocodile eats its own kind and carrion only in case of severe hunger. In one meal, an animal can eat about 23% of its own weight. This ability allows you to live for a long period without food. IN wildlife the reptile does not eat every day, or even once a week. How long can an animal last without food? An incredible amount of time - a maximum of a year and a half.

An old animal does not need food regularly. Young animals eat about 10% of their body weight in food per week; adults need 5%.

Life at the Zoo

At the zoo, crocodiles are fed regularly. They can eat every day, maximum every other day. In fact, such food is harmful for the animal; their digestive system is designed in such a way that food is digested in 4-5 days.

Children are given food:

• Laboratory mice.
• Various insects.
• Day-old chicks.

To ensure that the food is sufficiently fortified (vitamin B1, C), beef or beef liver is added to it. The presence of fatty foods can lead to blockage of veins, so fatty meat and the skin of poultry are removed.

For adults, the diet is a little simpler:

• Birds.
• Fish.
• Beef.

Eggs are periodically given as a delicacy. Adults are fed 2-3 times every 7 days.

When feeding crocodiles in captivity, the following points should be considered:

• Various living creatures need to be cleaned of fur, feathers and skin. It is this kind of food that is most similar to what he eats in the wild.
• Fish in the diet does not allow vitamin B1 to be properly absorbed. Therefore, it is boiled a little before serving.
• Fatty meats are excluded.

If you feed a crocodile only fish, it will develop vitamin deficiency. With a fish diet, additional vitamins of group B1 are added to food. It is important to provide the animal with calcium and vitamin C.

There is an interesting pattern among crocodiles: if you switch them from a fish diet to a meat diet, they will be happy, but on the contrary, from meat to fish, it can cause them to refuse food.

If you decide to keep an exotic animal at home, then carefully monitor its diet. Otherwise, he may start hunting for household members.

A fed animal has a certain passivity; it lies motionless and pleases others with its appearance. While the crocodile is digesting food (3-4 days), it is in a state of calm. Almost 60% of what you eat is converted into body fat. The more it accumulates, the longer the animal can go without food.

The animal's diet should include both frozen and fresh (live) foods. If the food is only frozen, the reptile may develop rickets.

No matter how long a crocodile lives at home, it will never become tame. Therefore, there is no need to let your guard down with him. Don't experiment with putting your hand in the mouth. Such games can end in disaster.

There is no need to remove the reptile from the terrarium. He perceives it as his home. Removal will put the animal under great stress.

Crocodiles have lived on the planet for about 250 million years. They existed during the time of dinosaurs and other ancient animals.

Millions of years ago, reptiles inhabited tropical and subtropical environments. They could only be found in fresh waters. They were able to adapt to different climatic conditions. After the extinction of the dinosaurs, reptiles had practically no enemies left. Therefore, they feel very bold and confident, and are considered the absolute masters of their territory. The most important and terrible enemy for a crocodile is man. Hunting animals has several goals:

• Crocodile skin is very valuable. Used for sewing clothes, shoes, accessories. The price of leather products is very high.
• Fear of falling into the massive jaws of a predator.

Some peoples still eat reptile meat and eggs to this day.

How many types of crocodiles are there in nature?

Crocodiles can be divided into 3 families:

There are 23 species of crocodiles in total. Each of them has a specific habitat. To study the habits of the animal, its diet, how much it eats, whether it is dangerous to human life, it was necessary to conduct long-term observations.

Reptiles can be distinguished from each other by the shape of their muzzle and teeth. In an ordinary crocodile you
long muzzle, a tooth is visible when the mouth is closed. Alligators have an oval head, it is quite wide, teeth are not visible. Gharials are distinguished by the thinness of their muzzle.

All species of crocodiles cannot maintain their body temperature. They love to soak up the sun. Therefore it is only suitable for them hot climate. Accommodation exclusively in fresh water speaks of poor salt metabolism. The secretion of salt through the lacrimal glands gave rise to the phrase “crocodile tears.”

Reptiles mainly live in water. But they lay their eggs in the sand on land. Regardless of the large number of sharp teeth, crocodiles are not able to survive their prey. Very often they drink large animals, and only then tear them apart so that they can eat them in parts.

Crocodiles are very patient when hunting. They can track their prey for a very long time, quietly creeping up to it. The attack occurs suddenly and with lightning speed. Animals cannot distinguish where a monkey is and where a child is, so they attack without hesitation. Be careful and careful.

The gharial can only be found on the Hindustan Peninsula. Apart from the giant gharials, there are no other representatives of the species in our time. The presence of an elongated muzzle with many teeth allows the animal to hunt fish perfectly. Regardless of size, it is considered safe for people and large animals. He can be classified as a fisherman. This is the view most lives in water, managing to sprout shells.