Crocodile Facts – What You Need To Know about this Reptile

CROCODILE FACTS – Here are ten (10) astonishing facts that many people are not aware of crocodiles which are reptiles.

1. They only eat meat

A lot of animals eat both plants and meat but for crocodiles, they are carnivores or they only eat meat. Meanwhile, a recent study showed that they also sometimes like fruits.

2. More than 4,000 teeth

Based on an article on Fact Animal, a crocodile’s set of teeth is between 60 to 110 and, in a lifetime, they lose and change teeth up to 50 times. They can reach up to 4,000 teeth in a lifespan.

3. The strongest bite

A crocodile’s bite is 10 times stronger than the bite of a human as a person’s jaw can only apply 100 pounds of pressure while that of the reptile can apply 5,000 pounds.

4. How to easily spot a crocodile from an alligator

When a crocodile closes its mouth, all its teeth are visible and the upper and lower jaws have the same width while the teeth of the alligator are not visible when it closes its mouth because of the depressions in the upper jaw for the lower teeth.

5. Crocodile vs. Alligator

When it comes to the snout, the crocodile has point V-shaped snout while the alligator has a wide, U-shaped snout.

6. They don’t sweat

When a crocodile’s mouth is open, it does not necessarily mean aggression. They open their mouths for several reasons like “mouth gaping” to keep themselves cool.

7. They are very fast in the water

Crocodiles can swim up to 35 kilometers per hour when they are in the water. Their powerful tails help them propel through the water.

8. Crocs tire easily on land

While they can swim fast in the water, on land, crocodiles are on belly run up to 17 kilometers only per hour.

9. Crocodiles can hold their breath underwater long

Based on the article, they can hold their breather underwater for up to one (1) hour long. This capability depends on a croc’s level of hemoglobin, the protein that brings oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.