Crocodile in riverside forest
Title | Info |
---|---|
Common name | Crocodile, Nile |
Scientific name | Crocodylus niloticus |
Taxonomic group | Crocodylidae |
Source | Dan L. Perlman |
Ecosystems | Wetlands, aquatic |
Wetlands and aquatic | Rivers, streams |
Ecological interactions | Predation |
Organisms | Animals |
Animals | Reptiles |
Date | August 08, 2003 |
Location | Serengeti National Park,Tanzania,Africa |
Nile crocodile in river, Tanzania. Nile crocodiles can grow to nearly 20 feet (6 m) in length. They are able to take large prey, up to the size of buffalo, and as they are poikilotherms ("cold-blooded," as their body temperature varies with the temperature of the environment), they can survive on only a few large feeding bouts per year. Note, too, the relatively luxuriant tree growth along this small river in the Serengeti. Just a few meters away is a much dryer habitat.