Scientific classification: Crocodiles belong to the genera Crocodylus,Ostaeolamus, and Tomistoma of the family Crocodylidae, order Crocodylia.
Introduction
The Crocodile is a reptile and is found within crocodilian order. The term crocodilian refers to all members of the order, what do crocodiles eat which includes alligators, caimans, and gavials as well as crocodiles.
Mode of life
Crocodilians are well-adapted as predators, with few natural enemies. Bony plates, called osteoderms, form a kind of armor in their thick skin. Their teeth, about 30 to 40 in each jaw, are set into sockets in the jawbones and interlock when the mouth is closed. In crocodiles, the fourth tooth on each side of the lower jaw protrudes when the mouth is closed; in alligators, these teeth are not visible. The jaws of crocodilians are powerful enough in closing to crush the bones of small animals, but so weak in opening that they can be held together by hand, what do crocodiles eat. As the crocodilian floats almost completely submerged, its protruding nostrils and eyes and a portion of its back are the only parts visible as it stalks its prey. Crocodilians are the most vocal reptiles, producing sounds from quiet hisses to fearsome roars and bellows, usually during the mating season. On land, crocodilians move quickly in a belly crawl but can also gallop and walk mammal-like on all four legs.
Reproduction
Crocodilians are egg-laying, or oviparous, reptiles, reaching reproductive maturity at about the age of ten. The eggs, 20 to 90 in number and about the size of goose eggs, are buried in sand, mud, or vegetable debris, where they are left to hatch by the heat of the sun or of vegetable decomposition. Females of some species remain in the area to protect the nest and care for the newly hatched young, although many of the eggs and young are lost to predators what do crocodiles eat,. The parental behavior of crocodilians is unique among reptiles and points to their affinity with birds.
Conservation
Crocodile eggs are used for food in some parts of the world. The skin is highly valued for leather, and the extract from the musk glands is used in the manufacture of perfumes. Due to overhunting, most crocodiles are considered endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in 2007 that it had reclassified the American crocodile as threatened rather than endangered under federal law, thanks to successful efforts to restore populations in southern Florida, what do crocodiles eat. The American crocodile is still classified as endangered under Florida state law and in other countries.