Giant marshes of the swamp South Florida

American crocodile (scientific name: Crocodylus acutus) is a crocodile species in the family Crocodylidae. They are the most aggressive predators in their habitat. Almost any fish found in fresh water through coastal saltwater habitats can be prey. In Florida, bass, large porridge and especially mullet are the main prey.

Like all other crocodiles, they are animals with limbs, with short and flat legs; tail long and strong; Scales cover the apoptotic layers along the back and tail and the jaws are strong and lay eggs.

They have membranes to protect their eyes, and although there are myths about "crocodile tears" , they have lacrimal glands, and can wash their eyes with tears. The nostrils, eyes and ears are located at the top of their heads, so the rest of the body can hide under the water to attack unexpected prey. Colors also help them camouflage very well.

American crocodiles usually crawl along their abdomen, but they can "walk". Smaller individuals can zoom quickly, and even larger individuals are capable of surprisingly rapid surge speeds.

They can swim fairly fast at 20mph (32km / h) by moving their bodies and tails along a sinusoidal path, and they can maintain this kind of movement for a long time but they cannot keep long-lasting this level.

Crocodiles have four-hearted hearts, like birds, which are very effective in transporting and supplying oxygen to their blood. Usually they only dive for a few minutes, but can hide under water for up to 30 minutes if in danger, and if they stop working, they can keep breathing for up to 2 hours under water.

They have cold-blood metabolism, so they can live for a long time between food twice - so when eaten, they can eat a food mass equal to half of their body weight each time.

The newborn baby has a length of 50cm (20 in) and a weight of about 60g (2oz). The average adult is 4.3 m (14ft) long and 382 kg (840lb) in males, an average of 3m (9.8 ft) long and 173kg (380 lb) in females. The main prey of American alligators is fish; relatively narrow snout is only suitable for eating fish. Almost any fish found in fresh water through coastal saltwater habitats can be prey.

In Florida, bass, large porridge and especially mullet are the main prey. The muzzle of American crocodiles is wider than some crocodiles that eat fish (like Indian crocodiles, long nose crocodiles, etc.), allowing it to supplement the diet with more diverse prey. . The prey ranges in size from insects to baby crocodiles to large cattle that are hunted by adults, and can include many species of birds, mammals, turtles, crabs, snails, frogs, and pairs. when the scavenger.

Mature American crocodiles have no natural predators and most terrestrial or riverine animals they encounter are prey. It is known that alligators predominantly hunt for the first few hours after nightfall, especially on moonless nights, although they can be eaten at any time.