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 Crocodile (reptile), common name for any number of reptiles in a family of the crocodilian order. The term crocodilian refers to all members of the order, which includes alligators, caimans, and garials as well as crocodiles. Crocodilians first appeared about 200 million years ago and are believed to be remnants of the great age of reptiles. Their ancestors originally lived on land and were lightly built, but they soon diversified into water-dwelling, or aquatic, and amphibious forms. Except for the alligators, crocodilians live in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Bony plates, called osteoderms, form a kind of armour in their thick skin. Their teeth, about 30 to 40 in each jaw, are set into sockets in the jawbones and interlock when the mouth is closed. The jaws of crocodilians are powerful enough in closing to crush the bones of small animals, but so weak in opening that they can be held together by hand. A crocodile often uses its tail to knock its prey into the water, where it is then gripped in the crocodile's jaws. The crocodile then rotates rapidly in the water, tearing its victim apart.Crocodilians are the most vocal reptiles, producing sounds from quiet hisses to fearsome roars and bellows, usually during the mating season. On land, crocodilians move quickly in a belly crawl but can also gallop and walk mammal-like on all four legs.Crocodilians are well adapted as predators, with few natural enemies. |
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| SPIECES | |
| CROCODILE | |
| ALIGATOR | |
| CAIMAN | |
| GARIAL | |
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