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 up 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.