The size of a Nile crocodile ranges from five to seven meters long. Their color, as a juvenile, is a dark olive-brown, with black banding on it's tail and body. This banding becomes fainter in adulthood. It's easy to tell a croc from an alligator, by looking at its snout. An alligator's snout is short and oval shaped.

 

Their niche is water; it consists of lakes, brackish water, swamps, and fresh water. They like to have riverbanks to use as a shelter. South Africa, Ivory Coast, Sengal, Egypt, Angola, and the Comoro Islands, are just a few of the places that the croc lives. In the wild, the population is an estimated 250,000 to 500,000. Many areas of croc populations are surviving great but other areas are in the code red list due to pollution.

 

To me the cause is because we are moving into much of its habitat. Many believe that the crocodile is on the top of the food chain or web but it isn't. The top animal is the hippo, but the hippo is not a real predator to the crocodile.

 

It depends on were the croc lives to be able to tell if the croc is in an area that consists of lots of prey for the crocs. The hippo as I said is not a real predator to the crocs but is still dangerous to them. In some cases, a hippo will attack a crocodile if feeling threatened or if young hippos are around. A crocodile can eat a small or baby hippo if given the chance.

 

Author: Cody P

Published: 02/2007

 

Sources:

"Crocodilus niloticus (Laureate)"21 Jan.2007 Photo Credit: Nile crocodiles, Crocodilus niloticus, photography of James P. Rowan