Alligator Tooth
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Mother Falcon: Alligator Teeth
The American Crocodile
Although Costa Rica does not have any alligators crocodiles can be found in several areas of the country including the Sierpe River. Preferring brackish water American Crocodiles are typical of Costa Rica and are usually 10-12 ft at maturity but can grow to 23 ft. Crocs are covered with heavy, olive brown or gray scales, which give them a rough, "pebbly" look. Crocs shed their scales one by one, unlike snakes, which shed their entire skins. Their eyes, ears, and nostrils are on the tops of their heads. When crocs are submerged in water, these are the only parts of them visible above the surface. They have big, sharp, cone-shaped teeth. Because these teeth are attached to the outside of the jaw they are visible even when the crocodile's mouth is closed.
Crocodiles are good parents, particularly the mothers. They build a nest mound near the water's edge that contains 20 or more eggs. When the time comes, baby crocs must break their egg shells quickly or they will suffocate. Each hatchling has an "egg tooth"--a horny growth at the tip of its snout--to cut a hole in its shell. When a mother notices that a baby is having a hard time hatching, she takes the egg into her mouth and gently squeezes it to break the shell. Upon hatching, the young call to the mother who digs them out and gently transports then to the water in her mouth. Crocodile embryos do not have sex chromosomes. Sex is determined by temperature. Eggs that are incubated above 93° produce males, and temps below 86° produce females. Temps in between will produce both sexes. Parental protection of eggs and hatchlings is unusual for reptiles, but crocs have a high degree of involvement with their young. Mothers are known to share nests and nurture each others hatchlings. Hatchlings are vulnerable to many different predators, and crocodile adults are extremely protective of them. Both males and females respond aggressively to hatchling distress calls. But even with careful nurturing, only 1 in 10 survive to become an adult.
They hunt about once a week, usually at night. They can go without eating for more than a year which causes them to loose all their excess weight, but they have no trouble hunting and eating as soon as prey is available again. Crocs' stomachs contain the highest volume of acidic gastric juices of any vertebrate, which allows them to digest even bones and shells. At any given time, an adult croc's stomach may contain 10 to 15 lbs. of rocks which not only aid digestion; they also help them submerge quickly and float with a minimum of body showing above the water line. Their diet includes primarily aquatic animals and occasionally birds and mammals up to the size of deer
The longevity of crocs has not yet been determined however there is a male crocodile at the Australian Zoo estimated at 134 yrs. Their brains are small but they seem to quickly recognize patterns, and they respond to recurring situations with new behaviors. Croc wranglers claim that it is difficult to catch the same crocodile in the same trap twice.
Crocodiles are an endangered species because they have been relentlessly killed in the past. They are an ancient lineage, and are believed to have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs. They are believed to be 200 million years old whereas dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago; crocs survived great extinction events.
Contrary to legend and folklore, crocodiles do not prey on human beings. One exception to this rule is the Nile crocodile, which may have developed a taste for human flesh long ago, when Egyptian priests fed them human sacrifices.
About the Author
About the Author: Steve Linder is the marketing manager for Pacific Lots of Costa Rica www.PacificLots.com, the largest expat development in Costa Rica and located in the southern Pacific region of the country. Now in their 22nd year, Pacific Lots is the largest seller of real estate, ocean view home sites and custom homes and properties for expats in Costa Rica. <a href="http://www.PacificLots.com /"> Click here to request more information. </a>
