Crocodiles are large reptiles that live in water. Scientifically, including all species of crocodile tribe members Crocodylidae, including crocodile fish (Tomistoma schlegelii). However this name can also be worn loosely to refer to the 'crocodile' crocodiles, kaiman and gavial; the crocodile relatives of different tribes.
Crocodiles are generally inhabit freshwater habitats such as rivers, lakes, swamps and other wetlands, but some are living in such brackish water estuarine crocodile. Vera is the main food animals such as the backbones of fish, reptiles and mammals, sometimes prey on mollusks and crustaceans depends on the species. Crocodile is an ancient animal, which is only slightly changed because of evolution since the time of dinosaurs.
Known also several local names to refer to crocodiles, such as crocodile (Sd.); crocodile (bjn); middle-aged or pickpocket (Jw.; bicokok (Btw.), bekatak, or crocodiles frogs to mention small crocodile fat; senyulong, crocodile jolong-jolong (Mly.), or a crocodile-julung julung to mention the crocodile fish; crocodile pandanus, which is colored green crocodile; copper alligator, crocodile brownish yellow; and others.
In English crocodile known as cooking rice. The name comes from the Greek reference to the alligator they saw in the Nile, krokodilos; word formation stem from kroko word, which means 'gravel', and deilos which means 'worm' or 'people'. They call it 'worm rocks' because of the habit of observing alligators sunning on the banks of the river rocky.
Outside the ancient form, the crocodile is really a complex animal crawls. Not like usual reptiles, crocodiles have a four bears heart, diaphragm (diaphragm) and the cerebral cortex. On the other hand, shows the outer morphology clearly predatory aquatic way of life. Her body is "streamlined" allows him to swim faster. Crocodile folding legs attached to the back of his body, to reduce barriers and allow the water to enhance speed while swimming. Toes webbed rear pool, which although not used as a driving force when swimming fast, the membrane is very useful when he had to suddenly turn around or make sudden movements in the water, or to start the swim. Webbed feet is also an advantage when the crocodile to move or walk in shallow water.
Crocodiles can move very quickly in short distances, even out of water. It has a very strong jaws that can bite with great force, making it an animal with the power of the biggest bite. This crocodile bites pressure not less than 5,000 psi (pounds per square inch; equivalent to 315 kg / cm ²), compared with a rottweiler dog bite strength of 335 psi only, great white shark for 400 psi, or a hyena (hyena) about 800 to 1000 psi. Crocodile teeth pointed and sharp, very useful for holding prey. Crocodile attack prey by biting its prey and pounce on it, then pull firmly and abruptly into the water. Therefore, the muscles around the jaw so well developed that can be closed with a very strong. Which has shut the mouth as well as very difficult to open, similar to the gecko bite. On the other hand, the muscles that function to open the crocodile's mouth is very weak. The researchers simply wrapped crocodile large adhesive tape (duct tape) several times, or tie a rubber inner tube in the closed end of the muzzle, to keep her mouth shut while it was still carried out observations and measurements, or when to transport the animal safely. Alligator claws and nails were strong and sharp, but very stiff neck so that the crocodile is not so easy to attack sideways or backwards.
Crocodiles prey on fish, birds, mammals, and occasionally other alligators are also smaller. These reptiles are an ambush predator, he waited for the prey of terrestrial animals or fish over, and then pounce with a sudden. As cold-blooded animals, these predators can survive long enough without food, and seldom really need to move to hunt for prey. Although seemingly slow, crocodiles are top predators in their environment, and some species have been observed attacking and killing sharks. Exception is bird kettle Egypt, which is known to have a symbiotic relationship with crocodiles. It is said that these birds usually eat kettle animal parasites that live in the mouth of a crocodile, and for that the king of the river opened her mouth wide and let the pot go clean it.
In the mating and egg-laying season, crocodiles can be very aggressive and easily infect humans or other animals approaching. Spawning season is very wild crocodiles guard their nests and eggs. Parent female alligator usually keep the eggs with buried under mounds of earth or sand mixed with the litter of leaves. Parent is then stayed with him from a distance of about 2 meters.
Alligator embryos did not have sex chromosomes, the chromosomes that determines sex of the child to be hatched. So as not human, not a crocodile sexes genetically determined. Instead, sex is determined by incubation temperature or the temperature of the nest where the eggs hatched. In the estuarine crocodile, a temperature of about 31.6 ° C will result in males, slightly lower or higher than the number that would produce a female crocodile. Egg incubation period is about 80 days, depending on the average temperature of the nest.
Crocodile suspected to have the instinct to return to the original place (Homing Instinct). Three ferocious crocodile tail in northern Australia has been moved to a new location, as far as 400 km, using a helicopter. But in three weeks, these animals are known to have arrived back at the place of origin. The event was monitored through a tracking device installed on the reptile's body.
According to current knowledge, the crocodile has a closer kinship with birds and dinosaurs, compared to most reptiles generally. The first three groups, plus a group of pterosaurs, classified into a large group Archosauria (= 'reptile which controls').