Fun Trivia » Animals » Reptiles and Amphibians » Crocodiles

Originally, the Chinese alligator could be found across a large portion of China, but its distribution has steadily declined. In fact, its geographical range has reduced by a staggering 90%. The Chinese alligator's habitat has now been restricted to small ponds, ditches and swamps situated in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in east China (specifically, in the Anhui Province and small parts of neighbouring provinces). In 1998, the biggest area in which the alligator lived was a small pond of just 11 alligators. The biggest reason for this dramatic decrease is the conversion of the wetlands they love and live in into rice paddies and farmland.

The other answers are also Chinese rivers. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Yellow River, Mekong River, Songhua River

Their internal anatomy resembles a bird's. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Two, One, Eight

Crocodiles actually don't use their teeth for chewing. They use their sharp teeth to catch their prey. Part of the reason crocodiles don't chew is because they cannot move their tongue freely around. Another reason is that they purposely swallow stones to grind up their food in their stomachs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

A crocodile shows only top teeth when its mouth is closed, but an alligator shows top and bottom teeth, A crocodile shows only top teeth when its mouth is closed, but an alligator shows top and some bottom teeth, A crocodile doesn't show any teeth when its mouth is closed but an alligator shows top and some bottom teeth

A few days before hatching, the babies start to squeak. This induces a synchronized hatching and also stimulates an adult to open the nest. Difficulty: Hard.

 

October, September, They won't hatch until the following year

The scientific name of the Chinese alligator is Alligator sinensis, while its local name is "T'o", 'Yow-Lung" or "Tu Long" (or another variation), which in English translates to "dragon" or "muddy dragon". Some writers speculate that the Chinese alligator likely inspired the creation of the mythical Chinese dragon, which is deeply engrained in Chinese culture, playing an important part in Chinese legends and appearing as one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac amongst other things. Dinosaur bones may also have inspired the Chinese dragon. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Crocodile, Dinosaur, Monster

Cabulitis, whose name translates in English to "sweet and gentle creature", resided at the Riga Zoo in Latvia from 1935 until his death in 2007. He was believed to be between one and three years old when he arrived there. In the wild, alligators are believed to live up to 50 years. As the Romans had no contact with the new world, alligators would not have fought in the Coliseum, and while Saddam had exotic pets, alligators were not among them. Difficulty: Hard.

 

An American alligator that resided in Saddam Hussein's palace, An American alligator that killed lions in the Roman Coliseum, An Aztec god of war depicted as an alligator

They get up to 30 feet long! Difficulty: Hard.

 

Indian, Orinoco, Cuban

Crocodilians always court each other before mating. They mate once a year, in spring or early summer. Oftentimes the female will lay her eggs in a hole in a sandbar or in a nest, depending on the type of crocodilian. As the baby crocodilians near hatching time, they will call out to their mother. Mother crocodilians can hear their hatchlings even when they are inside their eggs! Difficulty: Hard.

 

These crocodilians are going to fight each other, These crocodilians are greeting each other, The crocodilian with the throat puffed out is a female protecting her babies from the other crocodilian.

When they hatch, American crocodiles measure roughly eleven inches long and weigh sixty grams. Males will grow to around four metres and weigh 382kg while females reach a length of three metres and weigh 173kg. Difficulty: Hard.

 

seventeen inches, six inches, twenty-four inches

The Chinese alligator is not quite as large as its cousin the American alligator. American alligators have been known to grow to 14 ft. (4.4m), while the Chinese alligator only grows to about 5 ft.(1.5m). Found in the far eastern areas of the Yangtze River, these beautiful animals are critically endangered, with estimates of fewer than 200 individuals left in the wild. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Australian Alligator, French Alligator, Canadian Alligator

Crocodiles usually build their nests on riverbanks, using mud and rotting vegetation. Difficulty: Hard.

 

mud and rocks, vegetation and sand, mud and sand

The proper term for these rocks is gastroliths and they help with digestion. They are used by animals that lack grinding teeth (molars) to break down the food that has been eaten. Many dinosaurs used them, as do modern alligators, crocodiles, seals and some types of birds. Difficulty: Average.

 

For buoyancy, They absorb minerals from the rocks, They eat them to sharpen their teeth

Gastroliths are smooth stones that alligators swallow to aid in digestion. They may also help give alligators buoyancy in water. Fish, turtles, mammals, waterfowl and other reptiles have been found inside alligator stomachs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Parasites, A species of turtle, A species of fish

Some hatchlings stay in a pod together for years.

Information from "The Untamed World: Alligators & Crocodiles" Difficulty: Hard.

 

a clutch, a clop, there is no special name

Higher temperatures produce males while lower temperatures produce females. Generally, anything below 31 degrees Celsius will produce a female, while anything over 33 degrees Celsius will produce a male. However, temperatures can not be too high or too low, or the egg will die. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Yes, higher temperatures produce females and lower temperatures produce males, No, the temperature does not affect the gender, Yes, the higher the temperature, the more random the gender is

Hatchings eat mostly insects, small fish and crustaceans. As they grow, they move onto larger prey such as birds, other reptiles and small mammals. Difficulty: Easy.

 

birds, other reptiles, mice and rats

Both species of alligator have a life span of between thirty and fifty years on average, although some much older examples have been found. In captivity, they fare rather better, with eighty years being the average. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Under 10 years, Over 100 years is common, Most die in their first year of life

Sierot isn't actually a member of the order Crocodilia at all. He is, however, a distant relative of the crocodile.

Sadly, the sarcosuchus became extinct long ago, and Sierot is one of the few fossilised specimens left.

As well as being extinct, the sarcosuchus is noted for being one of the largest crocodile-like reptiles that has ever lived, growing up to twice the length of modern day saltwater crocodiles (the largest living crocodile).
Difficulty: Hard.

 

He is albino, He is the smallest species of crocodile, He is vegetarian

If McElhaney's claim is true, then this would be the largest alligator ever found. Unfortunately, there is no existing documentation, such as photographs, skin, or skeleton to verify this. The official Everglades website states that the largest alligator found in the reserve was 17'5, while the Florida Wildlife Commission claims the largest ever in the state was 14'5. There are no tree dwelling crocodiles. White, or albino alligators are known to exist, primarily in captivity. Difficulty: Hard.

 

The first white alligator found in America, A skeleton of a 40' long alligator, A single specimen of tree dwelling dwarf alligator

Tomista and Crocodylus are the genuses. Reptile means it is cold blooded. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Crocodylus, Reptile, Tomista

The Latin name is Pluvianus aegypticus, they are mostly called Egyptian Plovers. Difficulty: Hard.

A female alligator will lay her eggs in a large mounded nest of vegetation that has been freshly dug up. They take great care to build the nest in an area that is not prone to flooding. If a nest gets flooded, the eggs will die within 12 hours of being submerged. The average gator nest rises 3.5 ft. (just over 1 meter) and is twice as wide. It usually holds about 40 eggs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

In the sand, In the water, The don't lay eggs, they give birth to live young

Alligators dig holes to reach deeper ground water. In times of drought, these become an oasis for other reptiles, birds and mammals. Without these gator holes, many other animals would perish. In addition, alligators create peat moss while digging their nests, which creates nesting sites for birds. While being extremely protective of their own nests, alligators do not protect other species, and they do not create tunnels. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Fertilize the swamps with its guano, Create tunnels for wild life passage, Protect nesting sites of other wildlife

Hibernation is a state that endothermic (warm-blooded) animals like mammals and birds enter. As ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals like reptiles cannot control their own body temperature they cannot enter a true hibernation state like endotherms but may enter a state known as brumation. Brumation differs from hibernation in the metabolic processes involved. While they do remain dormant like hibernating animals, they do not "sleep" but just remain inactive. Their metabolism also slows considerably and they usually do not eat (though they will consume water).

Chinese alligators usually brumate during the cold, dry months of winter (about October-March, give or take). They spend this time in complex systems of underground tunnels and burrows. These systems are unique to them amongst the crocodilian species. As the temperatures gradually increase, they will leave these systems and bask in the sun to raise their body temperatures, though they may still use the burrows occasionally. Difficulty: Hard.

 

1-3, 11-12, 9-10

The photo showed a 13 ft.(4.0m) long Burmese python which had eaten a 6 ft. (2.0m) long alligator. The photo appeared to show that this mighty meal was too much for the snake and it burst open. Alternate theories have purported that the snake itself had become a meal for an even larger alligator who observed it lying motionless while it tried to digest its huge meal. While what exactly occurred is still debated, what is obvious is that the head of the snake was bitten off or popped off when it exploded. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Komodo dragon, American cobra, Nile crocodile

Alligators are known to prey on adult members of the other species listed. The adult American alligator does not have a natural predator. Juvenile alligators are vulnerable to other predators, such as herons, raccoons, snakes and some fish. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Black bear, Florida panther, American crocodile

When it comes time for them to breed, male American crocodiles attract females with low-frequency bellows. After mating, the female will dig a large hole in the riverbank, laying anywhere between thirty and seventy soft-shelled eggs. She will then viciously guard her nest until the eggs hatch. Difficulty: Hard.

 

between 20 and 30, less than 20, more than 90

Rat poison has been blamed as a contributing factor to Chinese alligator population decrease. Alligators may eat the traps set for the rats and thus they become poisoned themselves, or they may eat rats that have been poisoned as small mammals are part of the alligator's diet. The overuse of fertilisers by local farmers has also contributed, as it affects the alligator's breeding and egg laying. Extermination due to fear, consumption or the threat to livelihood (the burrows the alligator makes can cause drainage and irrigation problems on farms and the alligator is frequently blamed for the disappearance of livestock or waterbirds by farmers) is also a major threat. Difficulty: Average.

 

Foxes, Feral cats, Rabbits

Alligators, like all reptiles, are cold blooded. That is, they rely on the sun to help with temperature regulation. When too hot they will retreat to the water to cool themselves again. They are most active when the temperatures are between 82-92 degrees Fahrenheit. They will become dormant when temperatures dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Hardens their hide, Aids reproduction, Allows sun birds to pick mites from their skin

Three women were killed in three separate attacks in three different counties in Florida during that five day period. As the Florida Wildlife Commission documented only 25 fatal attacks between 1948 and 2005 (less then 1 every two years)this was definitely a rare and unprecedented situation. Alligators, unlike some species of crocodile, tend to avoid humans. Most attacks occur when a human stumbles into an alligator. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Over 60 alligators escaped from a farm during a hurricane, An alligator in the Everglades was observed using a branch as a tool, A massive die off of over 300 alligators occurred in Texas

The phrase 'crocodile tears' came about because it seemed as though crocodilians cry over their prey. Actually, the reason the crocodilians cry is due to the air being pushed up through their sinuses while they eat. The air is forced through tear ducts and results in somewhat bubbly tears. Some scientists also believe that the tears may serve the additional purpose of cleaning or moistening the eye. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Mating, Fighting, Sleeping

Male Nile crocodiles don't reach sexual maturity until they've grown to a length of around three metres. Females reach sexual maturity at a length of between 2 and 2.5 metres. Difficulty: Hard.

 

six metres, two metres, five metres

Human consumption is a major threat to the Chinese alligator's survival as a species. In China, the meat is considered a delicacy and is often available in restaurants and markets. To combat this, small amounts of alligator meat have been legally sold by breeding centres to restaurants and markets when captive populations are high enough, with the money collected used to fund the continual research efforts of these centres. In traditional Chinese medicine, the meat of the alligator is thought to prevent cancer and cure the common cold and the organs are also sold as cures for a number of ailments. Difficulty: Hard.

 

HIV/AIDS, Cardiovascular disease, Tuberculosis

The early Spanish explorers encountered these creatures, which they considered to be giant lizards. Their term of el lager would, over time, become alligator. The Spanish term for the devil is el diablo. Difficulty: Hard.

 

A corruption of the Spanish term for the devil, Adapted from the French term "ale gastric", From Doctor Allie Gator, who first described them as a separate species

They are called Muggers because they take fish out of nets without the fisherman knowing. They are in the coastal areas of India. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Thiefs, Buggers, Frogs with attitude problems.

The Foramen of Panizza is a hole only found on crocodilians. It allows for an easy exchange between oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood coming from the left or right aorta. This isn't the only thing that makes the crocodilian circulatory system unique, either. Besides the fact that crocodilians are the only reptiles to have four chambers in their heart, the crocodilian circulatory system is also designed to help them stay completely underwater for long periods of time. Difficulty: Hard.

 

A chamber connecting the left and right ventricle, A large blood vessel that travels down the spine, An intricate web of capillaries spreading out from the heart

Male saltwater crocodiles can reach a length of around seven metres, although the average length is around five metres. Females reach a length of around three metres. Difficulty: Hard.

 

colouration, tail markings, counting scales

Alligators have much broader snouts. They are also slightly flatter on top. This is the quickest way to tell the two animals apart if you run into one. This is usually not a problem as the only place that they both live is Everglades National Park in Florida. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Crocodiles have broader snouts, Crocodiles have large green warts on their snouts, Alligators have much shorter snouts

 

Salivary, Mammary, None of these