10 Fun Crocodile Facts

1. Crocodile skin is considered one of the finest and best materials, being soft and durable. In many tribal societies, crocodile skin is used as a high status fashion symbol. But only the skin on the belly of the crocodile has these qualities. The skin on the back of a crocodile is covered in bones also known as osteoderms. These osteoderms can deflect arrows, spears and even bullets!



A crocodile skin purse can cost $15,000. The price of a genuine crocodile wallet can cost you upwards of $500. Crocodile skin is pretty rare which means that the skin is very valuable which is why a single crocodile wallet can be so expensive. The value of crocodile skin has caused an intense amount of poaching and today many of the 23 species of crocodiles are threatened and even endangered.



2. The largest crocodile species is the saltwater crocodile also known as Crocodylus porosus. They live all over the world and can be encountered from India to northern Australia and Fiji. They have been known to reach 7m (23 ft) in length and weighing 1 tonne!

Despite their enormous size, the crocodile egg is no larger than that of a chickens.



The smallest crocodile is the dwarf crocodile, Osteolaemus tetraspis from central Africa. It has a maximum length of 1.9 m (6.5 ft).



3. To "cry crocodile tears" is a common expression which is used for depicting fake sadness. This myth originates from the idea that crocodiles weep while eating humans. Believe it or not, crocodiles really do tear up while feasting. However their teary eyes have nothing to do with remorse. Their eyes can froth and bubble during the feeding. Air pushed through the sinuses could mix with tears in the animal's tear glands and the whole content could be emptied into the eye resulting the "fake" remorse.



4. Each crocodile jaw carries 24 sharp teeth meant to grasp and crush, not to chew. Which is why they tend to swallow small stones which grind the food inside their stomachs. Their teeth are continuously replaced along the crocodile's life. Crocodiles can exert enormous pressure when closing their jaws, but the force for opening them is so weak that a man could hold it closed with little effort.



5. Surprisingly crocodiles closest relatives are birds. Both have four-chambered hearts just like mammals. This is unlike any other reptile. However, the crocodiles heart behaves like a three-chambered reptilian heart, enabling them to stay underwater more.



6. The first crocodiles appeared 240 million years ago and lived along side their relatives, the dinosaurs. That's why even today, crocodiles have longer hind limbs than fore limbs. Crocodiles can live up to 80 years!



7. Many times crocodiles stay on the river banks with their mouths wide open. It may look aggressive but it is actually their way of cooling down. They sweat through their mouths!



8. If you turn on a lantern at night in waters populated by crocodiles, you will see pairs of shiny red dots. These are crocodile eyes which have a layer called tapetum behind their retina. These contain crystals that reflect light and make the crocodile have night vision.



9. Crocodiles can swim just with the help of their powerful tail with 40 km (25 mile) per hour, and can stay underwater 2-3 hours. On land they can burst on short rapid races, but get tired very quickly. They can also execute jumps out of the water which are several meters long.



10. Some populations like the ancient Egyptians had a great respect for crocodiles. Some tribes in New Guinea worshiped the crocodile as a totem god and scarred their skin in a very painful procedure to make themselves look more like crocodiles.