The crocodile's environment is especially humid. This type of reptile usually lives in mangroves, marshes, lakes, slow-flowing rivers, and shallow water formations, such as pools, wetlands, or puddles.
Crocodiles are found mostly in the tropics of America, Asia, Africa (south of the Sahara desert) and Australia, including some islands in the Indian Ocean.
Crocodile in Botswana
This species has a certain predilection for warm areas, thanks to the fact that it has an extraordinary temperature regulation mechanism.
There are currently more than 14 species of crocodiles around the world. Its varieties include: the Orinoco crocodile, the Nile crocodile, the Australian crocodile, the Mayan crocodile and the marine crocodile.
Crocodile habitat
Crocodiles are used to living in semi-aquatic environments. However, their natural environment is terrestrial, although they can spend long periods under water. Therefore, crocodiles are generally found in humid environments.
Being reptiles, crocodiles are ectothermic, that is, they are cold-blooded animals. Sometimes they are forced to regulate their body temperature through external resources, since they do not produce heat by themselves.
Consequently, crocodiles are obliged to seek sources of heat in their immediate surroundings, such as the sun, for example, or to take refuge in the shade in case they wish to lower their body temperature.
Given this biological scenario, tropical and subtropical areas are conducive for crocodiles to carry out their body regulation process by adapting to different humid environments.
In addition, crocodiles have a very well developed sense of sensory perception. In case they are removed from their natural habitat, they have the necessary spatial location to return to their place of origin.
Where do crocodiles live?
Crocodiles prefer to live in areas with the following environmental characteristics:
- Bodies of fresh water, river mouths, puddles, lagoons, wetlands and even salt water pools.
- Areas where terrestrial and aquatic environments coexist, since due to their physiognomy, crocodiles tend to crawl on the ground, and they also have excellent skills as swimmers.
The ability to swim, even in salty waters, has allowed the Nile crocodile to expand its species to Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean. However, the best example of this is the marine crocodile.
- The humid areas are rich in sandy areas or river banks with mud. This environment is ideal for crocodiles to immerse their bodies there and to lower their body temperature quickly and effectively.
- Areas with warm waters, given their nature as cold-blooded animals. In view of this, its favorite habitat includes Australia, Central America, the United States (Florida, California and Oregon), Cuba, Puerto Rico, Asia and Africa.
- The tropics without climatic seasons. Only a few isolated populations of the Mississippi alligator go into torpor during the cold winter. The rest of the crocodile varieties prefer torrid areas.
- Low altitude areas with calm waters.
Articles of interest
Crocodile incubation.
References
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- What is the environment of the Crocodile? (sf). Recovered from:learn.org
- Difference between reptiles and amphibians (2014). Recovered from: differenceentre.info
- Where crocodiles live (nd). Recovered from: cocodrilopedia.com
- Where does the crocodile live? (sf). Recovered from: Dondevive.org
- Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). Crocodylidae. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org