We were traveling through
the Wonderopolis swamp the other day, just looking for some frogs
to join us in a game of jump rope. We stumbled upon an alligator and
a crocodile playing cards. We chatted for just a bit about the
weather.
As we were leaving them to continue our search, we received
an unexpected send-off that proved an old adage true and brought
tears to our eyes. As we departed, they said:
Alligator:
See you later!
Crocodile: After a
while!
Speaking of crocodiles, we couldn’t help but notice
that the crocodile we met had big, strong jaws and
razor-sharp teeth. We got to WONDERing about crocodiles and thought
we’d share with you what we learned.
The word “crocodile” comes from the Ancient Greek word for “lizard.” The
American crocodile is no ordinary lizard, though. In fact, crocodiles
have more in common with birds and dinosaurs than they do modern-day reptiles!
Among the largest of the world’s crocodiles, the
American crocodile can grow to be as long as 20 feet! It can be found
in North, Central, and South America. Although a few American crocodiles
live in southern Florida, most of them live in the swamps, creeks, ponds, and
wetlands of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.
The American crocodile is now considered an endangered species.
Experts believe their numbers have decreased over the years due to two main
factors: being illegally hunted for their tough, scaly skins and loss of habitat as
swamps have been converted to other uses.
American crocodiles feed mainly on small mammals,
birds, fish, crustaceans, frogs, and insects. Their large jaws are incredibly powerful.
With the strongest bite of any animal, a crocodile can bite down
with a force of over 5,000 pounds per square inch.
How powerful is that? How about over 10 times more powerful than the
bite of a great white shark? It’s true! But don’t worry. American crocodiles
aren’t overly aggressive. They tend to be shy and stay away from humans,
who rarely see them in the wild.
American crocodiles are very successful predators.
Their long, streamlined bodies allow them to swim very quickly to catch prey.
They can also move very quickly on land over short distances. An Australian
freshwater crocodile was measured traveling 11 miles per hour on
land. Some crocodiles have even been known to attack and kill sharks!
GATOR QUIZ
