Crocodiles | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

The largest of the living reptiles, crocodiles inhabit shallow coastal bodies of water in tropical areas throughout the world, and they are often seen floating log-like in the water with only their eyes and nostrils showing. Crocodiles have long been hunted for their hides, and almost all species of crocodilians are now considered to be in danger of extinction. Members of the crocodile family, called crocodilians (Crocodylidae), are similar in appearance and include crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gavials. A crocodile can usually be distinguished from an alligator by its pointed snout (an alligator's is rounded), and by the visible fourth tooth on either side of its snout that protrudes when the jaw is shut.

Crocodiles prey on fish, turtles, birds, crabs, small mammals, and any other animals they can catch, including dogs and occasional humans. They hide at the shore of rivers and water holes and grab an animal as it comes to drink, seizing a leg or muzzle, dragging the prey underwater, and holding it there until it drowns. When seizing larger animals, a crocodile will thrash and spin rapidly in the water and tear its prey to pieces. After eating its fill, a crocodile may crawl ashore to warm itself and digest its food, basking in the sun in its classic "grinning" pose, with its jaws wide open, often allowing a sandpiper or plover to pick and clean its teeth by scavenging meat and parasites from between them.

The important role that crocodiles play in the balance of nature is not fully known or appreciated, but, like all major predators, their place in the ecological chain is a crucial one. They eat many poisonous water snakes, and during times of drought, they dig water holes, thus providing water, food, and habitat for fish, birds, and other creatures. When crocodiles were eliminated from lakes and rivers in parts of Africa and Australia, many of the food fish also declined or disappeared. It is thought that this may have occurred because crocodiles feed on predatory and scavenging species of fish that are not eaten by local people, and when left unchecked, these fish multiplied out of control and crowded out or consumed many of the food fish.

Crocodiles reproduce by laying eggs and burying them in the sand or hiding them in nests concealed in vegetation. Recent studies of the Nile and American crocodiles show that some of these reptiles can be attentive parents. According to these studies, the mother crocodile carefully watches over the nest until it is time for the eggs to hatch. Then she digs the eggs out and gently removes the young from the shells. After gathering the newborns together, she puts them in her mouth and carries them to the water and releases them, watching over them for some time. American crocodiles are very shy and reclusive, and disturbance during this critical period can disrupt the reproductive process and prevent successful hatchings.

In recent decades, crocodiles and other crocodilians have been intensively hunted for their scaly hides, which are used to make shoes, belts, handbags, wallets, and other fashion products. As a result, they have disappeared or have become rare in most of their former habitats. As of 2001, 12 crocodile species have been designated endangered. These species are found in Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, the Middle East, the Philippines, Australia, some Pacific Islands, southeast Asia, the Malay Peninsula, Sri Lanka, and Iran. They are endangered primarily due to overexploitation and habitat loss.

The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) occurs all along the Caribbean coast, including the shores of Central America, Colombia, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Mexico,extreme south Florida, and on the Pacific coast, from Peru north to southern Mexico. The United States population of the American crocodile consists of some 500–1,2000 individuals. This species breeds only in the southern part of Everglades National Park, mainly Florida Bay, and perhaps on nearby Key Largo, and at Florida Power and Light Company's Turkey Point plant, located south of Miami. The population is thought to be extremely vulnerable and declining, mainly due to human disturbance, habitat loss (from urbanization, especially real estate development), and direct killing such as on highways and in fishing nets. Predation of hatchlings in Florida Bay mainly by raccoons may also be a factor in the species' decline.

Crocodiles: Their Ecology, Management and Conservation. A Special Publication of the Crocodile Specialist Group. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN-The World Conservation Union, 1989.

Ross, C. A., ed. Crocodiles and Alligators. New York: Facts on File, 1989.

Thorbjarnarson, J., comp. Crocodiles. An Action Plan for Their Conservation. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN-The World Conservation Union, 1992.

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