Crocodiles are highly organized reptiles thanks to a perfect respiratory, circulatory and nervous system. Animals first appeared more than 150 million years ago. Their closest relatives are dinosaurs.
Crocodile crocodile: description
Osteolaemus tetraspis is the only species of the blunt-crocodile genus, the smallest in the world. He has a lizard-like body shape with a high, laterally compressed long tail. On the hind limbs there are only four fingers, between which there are short membranes. On the front - five fingers. The body is covered with horny shields.
The crocodile has a short muzzle, the length of which at the base is slightly larger than the width. The external nostrils are separated by a bony septum. The upper eyelid is ossified, the iris of a reddish color. Irregular shape of the upper temporal pits. The eardrum is protected by movable valves. Powerful back teeth with mushroom-shaped crowns serve to flatten shells of mollusks and crab shells.
Adult individuals of black-brown color with dark, almost black spots on the abdomen and sides on a yellowish background. Young - with transverse wide stripes and black spots on the skin of light brown color. The maximum length of 1.9 m is found in males, the length of the females does not exceed 1.2 m. This type of crocodile is completely safe for humans.
Breeding
At the age of 5–6 years, a blunt-crocodile crocodile is ready for the continuation of offspring. This happens in May-June, when the rainy season begins. The male slowly approaches the female for mating, fertilizes several individuals. A few weeks later, the female carefully selects a place for the nest, making it from moist vegetation. Subsequently, the nest is heated as a result of the process of decay, thereby creating conditions for the development of embryos.
The female lays eggs from 11 to 17 pieces 4.5–7.0 cm in size and is located next to the nest to protect it from predators. During this period, she almost does not eat. Cubs begin to hatch after 80-100 days. The female takes out the egg and places all the born crocodiles in the mouth to transfer to the pond. She is a very caring mother and cares for her children. However, less than half of them survive, the rest are eaten by predators: jackals, mongooses, monitor lizards.
Small cubs immediately after birth have a length of up to 280 mm. Eating well, they grow by about 300 mm per year. Mother takes care of them for up to two years, and then leaves.
Lifestyle
A blunt-crocodile crocodile, the photo of which is presented in the article, leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and hides in holes in the afternoon, digging them in the roots of trees near ponds.
In the morning and evening, crocodiles bask in the sun. Equipping their plots, lead a secluded lifestyle. With a lack of water or an excess of available food, they can exist close to each other.
You can characterize a dwarf crocodile as a timid and shy animal. In the wild, it can live up to 100 years.
Habitat
The blunt-crocodile crocodile lives in Central and West Africa, as well as in the Congo (in the northeast region).
It prefers shallow rivers, streams and swamps in tropical forests. Crocodiles settle during the wet season, moving to temporary ponds.
Animals living near the Congo River have lighter skin and a long muzzle.
Dumb crocodile: what the reptile eats
Consumes small vertebrates, crustaceans, freshwater mollusks, depending on the season. In rainy times, the crocodile, moving away from its pond in search of food, does not shun carrion.
Going hunting along ponds and in the forest, crocodiles try to stay close to their home. While in the water, they lurk and wait for the prey to approach, and then suddenly and quickly grab it with a death grip.
curious
What else is the blunt crocodile known for ? Interesting facts about him:
- It has other names: black, African dwarf, bony crocodile;
- the maximum speed of movement on land - 17 km / h, that is, equal to the average speed of a person;
- life expectancy in captivity - from 40 to 75 years;
- the cornea of the skin protects the body from predators and sunburn;
- cannot chew food, but tear it to pieces and swallow it whole;
- the ability to reproduce the genus is not limited to age; The fact is known that a 69-year-old individual at the Chicago Zoo produced healthy offspring.
The dangers
Young offspring and crocodile eggs are affordable prey for larger predators.
The threat to crocodiles of this species is the reduction of habitats associated with deforestation to expand the space for agriculture.
This species of crocodiles is not well understood, information about the number of species has not been officially confirmed - these facts also explain the difficulty in protecting animals.
Widespread hunting for this species. A blunt-crocodile crocodile is an easy prey that serves as a source of meat for residents of the countries where they live. His skin is not in demand due to poor quality.
Despite the fact that the crocodile is blunt listed in the Red Book, local residents continue to hunt for him.
Orange crocodiles
In Gabon, in the system of caves of Abanda, blunt-nosed crocodiles of an unusual orange color were found, which are eaten by bats and crickets. Orange crocodiles are more obese than their relatives, due to excess food. They use underground tunnels with water for living.
At the entrance to the cave young individuals live, whose body is painted in a darker color. In the depths - large crocodiles of bright red color. Scientists explain the unusual skin color by the composition of the water. Bats secrete a significant amount of litter, thereby increasing the alkalinity of water, which helps restore pigments in crocodile skin.
Due to the low temperature inside the caves, males and females go for mating to the surface of the earth. The eggs are laid in rotting vegetation.
The length of the cave tunnels is approximately five kilometers. After a hundred meters, scientists could not get through because of the narrowing of the walls. Unlike ordinary dwarf crocodiles, nobody hunts orange.
There is an opinion that, fleeing predators, crocodiles led a nocturnal lifestyle and kept close to their burrows - this helped them survive many millions of years ago with a global drop in temperature.