Meteors made dinosaurs extinct, why are crocodiles still alive?

The reason comes from the amazing ability of crocodiles to adapt and fast.

Asteroid hitting Earth

About 66 million years ago, dinosaurs dominated the Earth for a long time. But then a massive asteroid, more than 9km wide, is thought to have crashed into the shallow sea, near what is now Mexico.

The collision between the asteroid and Earth caused a large explosion, strongly affecting many areas on Earth such as earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, even acid rain.

Huge amounts of dust were launched into the sky, blocking sunlight for long periods of time and sending Earth into a long, dark, cold winter.

Without sunlight, trees gradually die, followed by herbivores, and then carnivores die in mass due to insufficient food sources.

Scientists believe that this disaster caused three-quarters of the different animal species on Earth to have been wiped out - including most dinosaurs.

However, some have survived because of their well-adapted traits. Typically crocodiles, with some important keys to their survival.

Crocodiles survive by. eating less

A saltwater crocodile resting near the Daintree River in North Queensland, Australia. 

Crocodiles cannot fly in search of food in remote areas. They are also hairless to survive the cold winters, and do not eat seeds.

However, the crocodile body uses very little energy. This is considered the secret to helping them survive the "ice age" successfully. They spend most of their time lying down, breathing slowly, even with a very slow heart rate. Thanks to this, they can survive without food for months, sometimes even years.

The biology of crocodiles is completely different from most other dinosaurs, as they usually use a lot of energy, and also require a regular food source.

Crocodiles can also live in places where losing trees doesn't make too much of a difference. Think of a forest or a grassland, where many species of dinosaurs lived. If the trees there died, then all the animals that needed them died, including the carnivores because there was no food left.

However, crocodiles survive mainly because they live in places like rivers, lakes and coasts - places that don't need much greenery.

On the other hand, when other animals die, their carcasses drift into the water, into the sea. This is the main source of nutrition for alligators, helping them to get the nutrients they need to survive the cold winter.