THE LIVING DINOSAURS

Amongst all the different types of creatures around us, crocodiles are considered to be surviving from the Jurassic -era and so their experience on earth makes them the most deadly creatures. With time, where many of the tallest, biggest, strongest and fastest creatures have been destroyed and been left in nothing more than fossils on earth, this specie has survived  every phase of destruction in all these eras, due to their extraordinary adaptability to their surroundings.

Crocodiles belong to the CROCODYLIDAE family, the Alligators and the Caimans belong to the  ALLIGATORIDAE family while the Gharials belong to the  GAVIALIDAE family. The creatures from the CROCODYLIDAE are considered to be the true crocodiles.

Member species of the family Crocodylidae are aquatic reptiles that live in the tropics in Africa, Asia, America and Australia. Crocodiles are found in freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water. They feed mostly on vertebrates like fish, reptiles, and mammals and sometimes on invertebrates like molluscs and crustaceans, depending on their species. The crocodiles of that time were lot different than what we see today. They were bipedal and survived on vegetarian diets.

SCTOMATOSUCHUS INERMIS: they were one of the oldest crocodile species surviving on earth. The skeletal structure of the creature was a bit similar to that of the modern crocodiles. Stomatosuchus inermis ("Weaponless mouth crocodile") was an enormous 10 metre long eusuchian crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Egypt. Unlike most other crocodyliforms, it is difficult to determine exactly what S. inermis ate. Its flattened skull had a long, flat, lid-like snout, which was lined with small, conical teeth. The mandible may have been toothless and may have supported a pelican-like throat pouch.

Unfortunately the only known specimen, a large skull, which was collected in German paleontologist Ernst Stromer's Egyptian expedition, was obliterated when the Munich Museum was destroyed during an Allied bombing raid in 1944.

ARCHOSAURS: they came up later in the Jurassic era. They resembled our modern crocodiles much more than any of the dinosaurs before. Archosaurs were a group of diapsid amniotes whose living representatives consist of modern birds and crocodilians. This group also includes all extinct non-avian dinosaurs, many extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosauria, the archosaur clade, is a crown group that includes the most recent common ancestors of living birds and crocodilians. It includes two main clades: Crurotarsi, which includes crocodilians and their extinct relatives, and Avemetatarsalia, which includes pterosaurs and dinosaurs (of which birds are the only living clade).

MORDERN CROCODILES: The one first appeared during the Eocene epoch, about 55 million years ago. They are among the most complex biological creatures surviving on earth. They can survive both on land and in water. The creature is a very good hunter in both kind of ecosystems. Crocodiles are ambush hunters and they normally hunt in water, waiting for fishes or other land animals to come close and then rushing out to attack. Crocodiles are cold blooded creatures and can survive without food.T hey have a very slow metabolism but despite all these flaws they are the top predators on earth. Crocodilians can produce sounds during distress and in aggressive displays. They can also hear well and the tympanic membranes are concealed by flat flaps that may be raised or lowered by muscles.

They feed upon fishes, birds, mammals and sometimes even feed upon small crocodiles.

Size greatly varies between species, from the dwarf crocodile to the saltwater crocodile. Species of Palaeosuchus and Osteolaemus grow to an adult size of just 1 metre (3.3 ft) to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft). Larger species can reach over 4.85 metres (15.9 ft) long and weigh well over 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb). Crocodilians show pronounced sexual dimorphism with males growing much larger and more rapidly than females. Despite their large adult size, crocodiles start their life at around 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long. The largest species of crocodile is the saltwater crocodile, found in eastern India, northern Australia, south-east Asia, and in the surrounding waters.

Two larger certifiable records are both of 6.2 metres (20 ft) crocodiles. The first crocodile was shot in the Mary River in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1974 by poachers and measured by wildlife rangers. The second crocodile was killed in 1983 in the Fly River, Papua New Guinea. In case of the second crocodile it was actually the skin that was measured by zoologist Jerome Montague, and as skins are known to underestimate the size of the actual animal, it is possible this crocodile was at least another 10 cm longer.

The largest crocodile ever held in captivity is an Estuarine–Siamese hybrid named Yai , at the famous Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo, Thailand. This animal measures 6 m (19.69 ft) (19 ft 8 in) in length and weighs 1114.27 kg.

Meanwhile, the longest crocodile captured alive is Lolong which was measured 6.096 metres (20 ft 3 in) by a National Geographic team in Agusan del Sur Province, Philippines.

Wildlife experts, however, argue that the largest crocodile so far found in the Bhitarkanika was almost 23 feet (7.0 m) long, which could be traced from the skull preserved by the Kanika Royal Family. The crocodile was shot near Dhamara in 1926 and later its skull was preserved by the then Kanika King. Crocodile experts estimate the animal was between 20 feet (6.1 m) and 23 feet (7.0 m) long, as the size of the skull was measured one ninth of the total length of the body.

There is no such recorded age of crocodiles, but the oldest crocodile that survived in the Australia zoo was recorded to be 130 years of age. This crocodile was rescued by Bob Irwin and Steve Irwin after being shot twice by hunters.

Crocodiles have smooth skin on their belly and side, while their dorsal surface is armoured with large osteoderms. The armoured skin has scales and is thick and rugged, providing some protection. They are still able to absorb heat through this thick, rugged armour as a network of small capillaries push blood through the scales to absorb heat.

Humans are the biggest danger to crocodiles. The crocodiles are hunted by humans for their skin. Their skin is used for making leather products like wallets, briefcases, purses, handbags, belts, hats, and shoes.