American Crocodile
The American crocodiles are endangered species, and they are housed in the
animal kingdom where they are provided the habitat which suits their needs. These animals come with a tough scaly skin, the coloring of their skin
ranges from a kind of grey green to a dark olive green. They possess a
unique snout nose, and their fourth tooth of the bottom jaw will be noticeable
if they close their mouth. The American crocodiles are considerably long; the adult crocodiles
come with a length of 7 to 15 feet, while the young ones are 8 to 10 inches
long. The adult crocodiles weigh around 150 to 450 pounds. The American crocodiles basically live in areas where there is a blend
of fresh and salt water. The coastal wetlands and canals are their likely
habitats. These animals feed on a variety of water species like the crabs,
fish, water fouls and other small water mammals.These animals are considered to be less aggressive than their cousins
in Africa and Australia and they are rarely seen by people.
The female crocodiles hatch eggs during the months of April or May, it’s the responsibility of the female to build the nest, and the components of the nest include loose dirt and other stuff. She builds the nest in a heap, close to the water’s edge. And once the eggs hatch the female would carry the eggs to the water and help them for a while but they do not give any long time care to their young ones.
The eyes, nose and the ears of this animal is positioned at the top of its head, and this arrangement lets the animal to be fully immersed in water. The crocodile also possesses a nictitating membrane, which helps to protect its eyes. The lachrymal glands help to clean the eyes of these animals with tears.
American Crocodiles usually creep along on their abdomen, but they also have the ability of walking high. Smaller animals can gallop, and even larger crocodiles are capable of startling bursts of rapidity. They can swim equally fast by moving their body and tail in a winding manner, but they can prolong this form of movement much longer.
They generally go underwater for only a couple of minutes, but will stay submerged for up to 30 minutes if defenseless, and if they remain inactive they can hold their breath for up to 2 hours. They have an ectothermic metabolism, so they can survive a long time between meals —but when they eat; they can eat up to half their body weight at a time.