Crocodiles are hunters who like to ambush: they anticipate fish or land animals to method, then take motion to assault. As cold-blooded hunters, they will survive lengthy with out meals and infrequently must hunt actively. Regardless of their gradual look, they’re the very best predators round. Varied species have been noticed attacking and killing sharks. Crocodiles largely feed on invertebrates corresponding to mollusks and crustaceans, and vertebrates corresponding to fish, reptiles and mammals, relying on the species. Crocodile breeding season is between January and Might. For males, the onset of sexual maturity happens after they attain a size of about 3 meters, and for females, after they attain a size of two to 2.5 meters. It usually takes about 10 years for each female and male crocodiles to achieve these lengths.
Through the mating season, males appeal to females by banging their noses, spraying water from their noses, and making numerous vocalizations. Bigger males of a neighborhood are usually extra profitable at attracting females. As soon as they handle to lure a feminine, the pair warms up and rubs the undersides of their jaws collectively. After the crocodiles mate, the feminine crocodile lays about 20-40 eggs every year in a nest close to the riverbank. It covers the nest with leaves and different vegetation. Rotting vegetation retains the eggs heat and moist. Incubation temperature for crocodile eggs is 28-32 levels, relative humidity is 95-One hundred pc, incubation interval is 70-80 days. The feminine stays within the nest and guards the eggs till the eggs hatch. When the fry are able to hatch, they make sounds. The feminine crocodile opens the nest and carries the younger to the water. They instantly start to feed on crabs, shrimps and bugs. About half of the offspring die within the first yr attributable to predators.
