Crocodiles: Impressive Killing Machines

Crocodiles, also called crocs, are the fiercest, most savage reptiles alive today. They may look slow but they are capable of incredible bursts of speed and their jaws deliver one of the most powerful bites of any animal. They can grow to true monster proportions with many being recorded over six metres in length (19.5 feet). A beast this size can weigh over a ton. They are ambush predators so it's when you can't see them that they are a threat. Yet despite their ferocity, crocs are some of the only reptiles to care not only for their eggs but also for their young after they hatch.

Types Of Crocs

There are dozens of species of crocs and they are found in tropical regions all over the world. Some are endangered whereas others, like the saltwater croc, are doing very well.

Crocs As Pets?

Why would someone want a croc as a pet? I guess it's the same reason that some people keep animals like tigers and pumas as pets. They are impressive, powerful creatures and perhaps the additional danger of possible death at any instant adds to the thrill of maintaining the animal.

Personally I think you'd have to be insane to keep a saltwater croc as a pet. A newborn hatchling has a bite powerful enough to sever a finger. They are not able to be trained or domesticated in any way, and a crocodile you have kept for years will be as likely to attack you a wild one.

Even if saltwater crocs were not a protected species under Australian law, keeping one in a domestic environment would only be endangering yourself and people around you. Even large dogs can be very dangerous for small children, but I shudder to think what a croc would do if it was hungry and came across a child.

Some smaller species are legal to trade as pets, but it must be remembered that even smaller specimens will be dangerous and untrainable. They may become used to being handled, but they will never be tame.

Seeing Crocs In The Wild

There are some opportunities to see crocs in the wild without danger. The best way to view these creatures safely is with a guided tour. Crocs are not animals you want to be close to when it's on their terms.

Horror Croc Stories

If you live in the Northern Territory, Australia for any length of time you hear a great many croc stories, and most of them are true. I lived there for ten years and not only heard the stories but also had several encounters of my own, which I was lucky to survive. Most of these croc attacks occurred on one beach.

Crocodile Evolution

The most notable feature of crocs is the snout. This is the defining feature of the group and has changed very little throughout their evolution.

However crocs are not the only creatures to have a mouth like that. There are several crocodile fish alive today that share this impressive mouth.

Crocs are possibly the longest surviving lineage of animals on land. From their early beginnings some 230 million years ago, over 28 groups of croc like creatures have lived and died. Each group contained many species. As a comparison, all the species alive today fit into one group. That's all the crocs, alligators, caimans and gharials in the world, all in the one group.

Crocs certainly have a prolific and successful history.


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