Crocodiles. That's the name of one animal that was greatly feared by humans. Not without reason that human beings are afraid of crocodiles. Judging from his appearance alone, the crocodile did show the appearance of malignant impressed by its large size and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. If these things were not enough, many cases of human to crocodile attacks recorded worldwide. And one species of crocodiles are quite often reported to attack humans are the crocodiles of the Nile.

Nile crocodile is one of the largest crocodile species known to man and is still alive today. The maximum body length can reach 6 m in which males are 30% larger than females, but in general, the Nile crocodile measuring only about 5 m. Although large, the Nile crocodile is not the largest crocodile species in the world. Crocodile species is touted as the largest species of crocodile estuarine or saltwater crocodile which reaches maximum length of 6 m more and more are found in the waters of Southeast Asia and Australia.

The name "crocodile of the Nile" can be regarded as a somewhat deceptive name for a crocodile in question is not only found in the Nile. The name "crocodile of the Nile" was given because it is based on records antiquity, these crocodiles are found in the mouth of the Nile, Egypt. The habitat of the crocodiles of the Nile itself covers freshwater throughout the continent of Africa and Madagascar. In addition to the fresh waters such as rivers and lakes, the Nile crocodile is sometimes also be found in swamps and seaside. The characteristics chosen by the waters of the Nile crocodile is a large water flows calm water.

Physically, the appearance of Nile crocodiles is not different from crocodiles in general. His head has a large snout full of sharp teeth for grasping and killing prey. At rest, the Nile crocodile is often opened his mouth wide as a way to release excess heat from the body. Head, nose, and ears of the Nile crocodile lies on top of the head so that the Nile crocodile can spot prey while soaking most of his body in the water. In this way, the Nile crocodile could creep closer to its prey in the water without being seen.

The body of the Nile crocodile elongated and covered with thick scales. The upper part of his body dark gray, while the lower part pale yellow. Nile crocodiles also have bumps on her upper body is touted gives him the ability to sense changes in water pressure. Hefty tail where the main function of the tail is to help her swim. Nile crocodile itself is indeed a very good swimmers and can reach speeds up to 35 km / h while swimming.

TERROR OF FRESH WATERS

It has been mentioned earlier that the favorite habitat of the Nile crocodile is a large fast-flowing waters calm. Not without reason Nile crocodile habitat such like. In Africa, animals are herbivorous kinds of zebra and antelope often gathered together on the banks of rivers or lakes for drinking. In other cases, when traveling far not uncommon herbivorous animals had found the river in the middle of the street so it automatically, they must go to the river to cross in order to continue the journey.

At the time of herbivorous animals congregate around these waters, crocodiles of the Nile into action. At first, the crocodile will swim slowly at the surface of the water so that at first glance looks like a floating logs. When the animals had been within range, then swallow prey Nile crocodile suddenly and pulled into the water in order to drown. Interestingly, in addition to attacking herbivores, Nile crocodiles are also sometimes attacked carnivores such as lions and leopards when herbivorous animals commonly eaten was hard to find.

Nile crocodiles usually hunt alone. However, if necessary, the Nile crocodile also be working with some other crocodile tail to get prey. Methods of hunting together is usually done when the Nile crocodile was about to hunt large animals such as hippos and rhinos. In addition to conquer large animals, crocodiles of the Nile also hunt in packs to feed on schools of fish. Currently, there are schools of fish, crocodiles of the Nile will "lead" the fish to the water's edge, then began crashing and consuming fish within range when schools of fish that has been cornered.

As with other reptiles, crocodiles of the Nile are cold-blooded animals so that they are metabolized slowly and can live for a long time without food. Nile crocodile can eat an adult animal and not go looking for food again until the next 2 weeks, but they are also known to live without eating at all for 2 years! And because the crocodiles of the Nile are cold-blooded animals, the activity of digesting food also depends on the ambient temperature. If the temperature of the surrounding environment is too low, the Nile crocodile will not be able to digest food and the food in the stomach will begin to rot without undigested.

MONSTER LOVE THE FULL FLAVOR

The breeding season lasts from Nile crocodiles in the dry season, local time. At first, the stud will seduce females by way of banging his snout into the water and making a noise. If females are interested, both then mating in the water. Females married next went to a dry area close to the waters to spawn. When about to spawn, the female will dig a hole as deep as 50-90 cm, then start laying their eggs into the hole where the eggs could reach 90 grains. The females then cover the hole with sand, and both males and females maintain the hole.

The eggs of the crocodiles of the Nile takes 3 weeks to hatch. The interesting thing of the Nile crocodile eggs is the ambient temperature affects the sex of the baby crocodiles hatch later. If the temperature is between 31-34 degrees C, the baby hatch would have the male gender. Outside the temperature range, the baby hatch will have a female gender. We will hatch, the baby crocodile will emit sounds high-pitched roar through the egg shell. Upon hearing the voice, the mother crocodile will get rid of the layer of sand covering the hole so that the baby can get out of the hole crocodile nest after hatching.

In contrast with the sinister appearance, crocodiles of the Nile proved to be a parent caring and loving. Shortly after hatching, crocodiles of the Nile will take her children in her mouth to keep their nearby waters until 2 years old. In the first years, children Nile crocodiles live on small animals such as insects and small fish. Nile crocodiles never stop growing during his life so that the longer the age, the greater the size of its body. Nile crocodile known to reach sexual maturity at the age of 10 years and can live up to the age of 100 years!

Feared AND WANTED BY HUMAN

Had already mentioned in the paragraph beginning that the crocodile man feared because of the cases of crocodile attacks to humans. Well, of the many species of crocodiles never attack humans, crocodiles of the Nile is the species most often do so because their habitat adjacent to human settlements. As a result, the contact between humans and crocodiles of the Nile was so often the case. Moreover, by looking at the behavior of crocodiles of the Nile that would-would be prey of any creature that is nearby, not to mention humans. It is estimated that hundreds of people were attacked by the crocodiles of the Nile every year!

As a result of that fearsome reputation, Nile crocodiles were often killed by humans. In addition to fear, humans also hunt crocodiles of the Nile because the skin of valuable expensive and can be processed into various products. When it became uncontrolled poaching, the population of the Nile crocodile also had fallen sharply between 1940 to 1960. In response, the prohibition of Nile crocodiles hunt for commercial purposes was enacted. The result is quite positive because slowly but surely, the Nile crocodile which initially threatened now the population began to recover.

Although frightening, in fact, people still think of the Nile crocodile as a pet is beneficial because the meat and the skin that can be consumed. Thus, in some countries in Africa, the Nile crocodile farm activity began to emerge in which the focus of the farm is getting the meat and the Nile crocodile skin without harming the wild population. In addition to meet human needs for products of crocodiles of the Nile, the Nile crocodile farm is also beneficial to help restore the population of the Nile crocodile in some African regions with faster