Crocodiles are the world's largest reptiles.
Some species of other animals have become
extinct but the crocodiles have not experienced
such a fate. All 23 species of the crocodiles
are still surviving. There are two types of
crocodiles found in Australia, freshwater and
estuarine. Their long jaws, protective armor,
streamlined bodies and long tails make them very
suitable for living in aquatic surroundings like
swamps and rivers. Crocodiles are
cold-blooded. Their body temperature changes
according to the temperature of the air, water
and land of its surrounding. Freshwater
crocodiles can be found at the rivers and swamps
in some parts of Australia. They have
narrow snout and reasonably straight jawline
with even-sized teeth. Unlike the estuarine
crocodiles, they are not 'man-eaters' and feed
mainly on insects, frogs, lizards, turtles, with
bats, birds and small mammals. The estuarine
crocodiles, on the other hand, are found mainly
in the warm climate of Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar
as well as other some countries in Southeast
Asia and Australia. They have broader snouts
than freshwater crocodiles, with an uneven 'up
and down' jawline and irregular-sized teeth. It
is estimated that they can live for at least 70
to 100 years. |