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Danger to humans

The larger species of crocodiles are very dangerous to humans. The main danger that crocodiles pose is not their ability to run after a person but their ability to strike before the person can react.

Few facts:

• Crocodiles at birth are around 20 cm (8 inches) long - not much longer than your feet! Depending on the species (there are 23 species!), adults may vary in size from about 1m to 8m, and can weigh over one ton (1000kg) - heavier than a car!
• The largest recorded crocodile was 8.6 meters (28.2 feet) long and weighed 1352 kg (2870 lb) - that's as long as two cars!
• Crocodiles are very fast over short distances, even out of water.
• The land speed record for a crocodile is 17 kilometres per hour (10.6 mph), by a galloping Australian freshwater crocodile. Whilst some species can gallop, the fastest way for many croc species is a "belly run". They move like a snake, wiggle their legs. and their tail whips back and forth.
• By belly-running, crocs can reach speeds of around 10 or 11 kilometres an hour (around 7 mph), or faster if they're sliding down muddy riverbanks.
• A human can outrun a crocodile; the best way is to run in a straight line as fast as you can!
• Crocs have extremely powerful jaws which are capable of the strongest bite of any animal.
• Crocodiles cannot chew. They can only tear and swallow.
• Crocodiles have 24 teeth, but they are constantly being replaced. A crocodile can go through over 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.
• Each tooth is hollow, with new ones growing inside the old ones. The new tooth appears once an old one is lost.
• Crocodiles like warm environments. They do not like cold water!
• Crocodiles are found in tropical areas, such as swamps and everglades of the southeastern U.S., Central and South America, Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Borneo.
• Crocodiles are 'ambush hunters'. They wait for fish or land animals to come close, then rush out to attack. They grab their prey with their strong jaws, drag it into the water, then they roll over and over ('death roll'). This confuses the prey and eventually it drowns. Then the crocodile begins to eat.
• Crocodiles mostly eat fish, other reptiles, and mammals, and sometimes on other water creatures such as mollusks and crustaceans.
• Crocodiles digest everything they eat, including bones and shells, because their stomachs are so acidic.
• Female crocodiles lay eggs (about 9 to 90 eggs) and bury them in the sand.
• Little crocs in some species make chirping sounds in their eggs when they are about to hatch. This tells the mother croc to dig them out of the sand nest.
• Mother crocs of some species carry the hatchlings to the water's edge in her mouth, then watch over them until they are able to look after themselves.
• 99% of the crocodile offspring are eaten in the first year of life by large fish, lizards, birds, and ... adult crocodiles.
• Adult crocodiles live to around 50 to 60 years; however, some have lived as long as 130 years!