Crocodiles are highly organized reptiles, thanks to perfect respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems. Animals first appeared over 150 million years ago. Their closest relatives are dinosaurs.
Crocodile blunt: description
Osteolaemus tetraspis is the only species in the genus of blunt-nosed crocodiles, the smallest in the world. It has a lizard-shaped body with a high, laterally compressed long tail. There are only four fingers on the hind thick limbs, between which there are short membranes. On the front - five fingers. The body is covered with horny shields.
The crocodile has a short muzzle, the length of which at the base is somewhat greater than the width. The external nostrils are separated by a bony septum. The upper eyelid is ossified, the iris is reddish in color. Irregularly shaped upper temporal pits. The eardrums are protected by movable valves. Powerful back teeth with mushroom-shaped crowns are used to flatten shells of mollusks and crab shells.
Adults are black-brown with dark,almost black spots on the belly and sides on a yellowish background. Young - with transverse wide stripes and black spots on the skin of a light brown color. The maximum length of 1.9 m is found in males, the length of females does not exceed 1.2 m. This type of crocodile is completely safe for humans.
Reproduction
At the age of 5–6 years, the blunt-nosed crocodile is ready to continue offspring. This happens in May-June, when the rainy season begins. The male slowly approaches the female for mating, fertilizes several individuals. After a few weeks, the female carefully selects a nest site, making it from damp vegetation. In the future, the nest is heated as a result of the process of decay, thereby creating conditions for the development of embryos.
The female lays eggs from 11 to 17 pieces 4.5–7.0 cm in size and she herself is located next to the nest to protect it from predators. During this period, she hardly eats. The young begin to hatch after 80–100 days. The female takes out of the egg and places all the born crocodiles in her mouth to transfer to the reservoir. She is a very caring mother and tenderly cares for her children. However, less than half of them survive, the rest are devoured by predators: jackals, mongooses, monitor lizards.
Small cubs immediately after birth have a length of up to 280 mm. Eating well, they grow by about 300 mm per year. Their mother takes care of them for up to two years and then leaves.
Lifestyle
The blunt-nosed crocodile, whose photo is presented in the article, leads a nocturnal lifestyle, andhides in burrows during the day, digging them in the roots of trees near water bodies.
In the morning and evening, crocodiles bask in the sun. Equipping their sites, they lead a solitary lifestyle. With a lack of water or an excess of available food, they can exist close to each other.
The dwarf crocodile can be characterized as a timid and shy animal. In the wild, it can live up to 100 years.
Habitats
The blunt-nosed crocodile lives in Central and West Africa, as well as in the Congo (in the northeast region).
Prefers shallow rivers, streams and swamps in tropical forests. Crocodiles settle during the wet season, moving to temporary reservoirs.
Animals living near the Congo River have lighter skin and longer snouts.
Crocodile blunt: what does a reptile eat
Consumes small vertebrates, crustaceans, freshwater mollusks depending on the season. In rainy times, the crocodile, moving away from its reservoir in search of food, does not shun carrion.
When going out to hunt along ponds and in the forest, crocodiles try to stay close to their homes. While in the water, they lie low and wait for the prey to approach, and then suddenly and quickly grab it with a stranglehold.
Curious
What else is the blunt-nosed crocodile known for? Interesting facts about him:
- has other names: black, African pygmy, bony crocodile;
- maximum speedmovement on land - 17 km / h, that is, equal to the average speed of a person running;
- Life expectancy in captivity is 40 to 75 years;
- The horny cover of the skin protects the body from predators and sunburn;
- cannot chew food, but tear it apart and swallow it whole;
- the ability to reproduce the genus is not limited to age; known fact that a 69-year-old individual in the Chicago Zoo produced he althy offspring.
Dangers
Young offspring and crocodile eggs are available prey for larger predators.
The threat to this species of crocodiles is habitat loss associated with deforestation to expand agricultural space.
This species of crocodiles has not been sufficiently studied, information about the number of the species has not been officially confirmed - these facts are also explained by the complexity of animal protection.
Hunting for this species is widespread. The blunt-nosed crocodile is an easy prey that serves as a source of meat for the inhabitants of the countries where they live. His skin is not in demand due to low quality.
Despite the fact that the blunt-nosed crocodile is listed in the Red Book, the locals continue to hunt for it.
Orange crocodiles
In Gabon, in the Abanda cave system, blunt-nosed crocodiles of an unusual orange color were found that eat bats and crickets. Orange crocodiles are more obese than their relatives due to excess food. Underground water tunnelsused for living.
At the entrance to the cave live juveniles, the body of which is painted in a darker color. In the depths - large crocodiles of bright red color. Scientists explain the unusual color of the skin by the composition of the water. Bats excrete a significant amount of droppings, thereby increasing the alkalinity of the water, which helps restore pigments in crocodile skin.
Due to the low temperature inside the caves, males and females come out to mate on the surface of the earth. Individuals lay their eggs in rotting vegetation.
The tunnels of the cave are about five kilometers long. Further than a hundred meters, scientists could not get through because of the narrowing of the walls. Unlike ordinary dwarf crocodiles, no one hunts orange ones.
There is an opinion that, fleeing from predators, crocodiles were nocturnal and kept close to their holes - this helped them survive many millions of years ago during a global drop in temperature.
