American crocodiles and crocodiles are large and scaly reptiles and have very strong jaws. They live in rivers and swamps. They feed on fish, mammals, turtles and birds. The crocodiles are the largest reptiles living on our planet and can reach 7 meters in length and 1.120 kilos in weights. American alligators are smaller. Caymans, gavials, American crocodiles and crocodiles belong to the crocodile group. American crocodiles can be distinguished from crocodiles, because; he has a large, flat nose and does not appear when his teeth and jaws are closed.
American crocodiles like crocodiles also float on the water with the tip and eyes of their noses and wait for their prey. Although crocodiles are said to attack people, American crocodiles rarely do so. American crocodiles have strong jaws that can break the bones of an animal like a pig.
Crocodiles can be fed with a wide variety of animals. Insects, crayfish, frogs and small fish are fed by young ones, but an adult alligator is fed by water birds, turtles, small mammals and occasionally with dogs. American alligators lay 30 to 80 eggs in their nests. After 60 days of incubation in the sunlight, the offspring begin to produce high-pitched sounds in the egg. The mother peers the soil and waits for the offspring to hatch. After the hatchlings are hatched, they will carry them to the water with their mouths. The mother will observe her cubs for a year.
During the winter crocodiles stay under water to stay warm. They bury themselves in the pits where they open themselves with mud or their own trunks. In times of drought, these pits will often be the only place where water can be found. And until the rains begin, these pits may be shelter for crocodile and aquatic animals.
In spite of the presence of 12 crocodile tuffs, there are only two types of American crocodile. One of them is the American crocodile in the south-east of America; the other is the Chinese crocodile in China’s Chang river. All crocodiles are hunted for their skins and flesh. Also; habitats are also under threat. The American crocodile was so low; from 1969 to 1987 it was protected by laws.
Main features:
1. This aquatic group of reptiles, rivers lives in swamps and lakes. Some species enter the sea. The tail is particularly effective in swimming. Their body is long built; the tail is flattened from the sides in accordance with swimming. The base side is thick and conical, receding from the sides. The flattened tails serve as rudders.
2. Thicker skins, dermal (bone, Osteoderm) at the bottom and epidermic (keratin) on top are covered with plaques and stamps of origin. For this reason, their skins are in good shape and are used in bag and shoemaking.
3. The legs are short compared to the body. There are 4 fingers in the front and 5 in the rear. The rear toes are either full or half-membrane.
4. Hearts as in mammals and birds are divided into 4. The right and left ventricles are completely separate and have an aperture (Foramen Panizzae) that can be closed at the top.
5. As in mammals in the jaws, there are “Thecodont ç type teeth that are located in alveolar pits
. These teeth are used to catch much prey without chewing. Lower jaw motion, upper jaw movement.
6. The stomach is divided into 2 zones, unlike other reptiles. In order to facilitate digestion, they eat small stones like birds.
7. There is an incomplete diaphragm between the abdominal cavity and the chest cavity.
8. In accordance with lifestyles, the nostrils are located at the front and top of the head and are covered with a skin extension. They can close the nostrils voluntarily. Eyes are on the upper side. They can stay in the water for a long time, with the nostrils and eyes out.
9. The cloac opening is in the form of a longitudinal slit, as in turtles.
10. They are all ovipolar. They go ashore to sunbathe and lay eggs. They lay 20 to 100 eggs in the size of a goose egg in the sands 5-10 m away from the coast. Thus, the temperature required to open the eggs is provided. There are brood and hatchlings in the mouth. Female individuals guard the eggs by hiding near the nest.
11. Carnivore feed. They hunt fish, frogs, and water turtles. They are nocturnal. Pupils are vertical. Eyelids are available. Ear openings are small and can be clogged with a cover: there is a small skin cover on it. The meats are greasy and the eggs are eaten.
There are 2 families living today (3 according to some authors) and 21 crocodile species.