King Crocs,. (National Geographic)

**Gole_Orkide** · 23-10-09, 12:28

This vigilant yellow eye belongs to a Nile crocodile, a fearsome hunter perfected by epochs of evolutionary trial and error. Over the course of 240 million years, these predators and their kin have come to rule the netherworld between dry land and deep water. But as their habitats dwindle, many croc species face an uncertain future.

An early croc forerunner, Desmatosuchus inhabited low-lying floodplains in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the late Triassic. Its bony plates, or osteoderms, are also found in living crocodilians.

The Nile crocodile's tail helps propel its surprising leap, demonstrated in Bazoulé, Burkina Faso, where people have worshipped crocs for centuries.

Famous for its bone-crushing jaws, a Nile crocodile also dominates with the help of powerful legs, which allow it to strike quickly and pull down adult wildebeests.

Armed Louisianans snare an eight-foot alligator on a chicken-baited hook. "It's like pulling in a log," says a hunter, "until the alligator sees you. Then the battle begins." The state manages a healthy annual harvest of some 34,000 wild and 240,000 farm-raised alligators. Last year the hides and meat brought in nearly $60 million.

Croc World
Living crocodilians, which include two species of alligators, six kinds of caimans, 14 types of crocodiles, and the lone species of gharial, all reside within 2,600 miles of the Equator, though their ancestors ranged nearly from Pole to Pole. Some species, such as the American alligator and Nile crocodile, are thriving, but many others are declining as humans expand into croc habitat. Some, such as the African dwarf crocodile (above), are hunted for their meat. A few species, notably the gharial, may go extinct within a decade in the wild.

Boarcroc
This 20-foot-long meat-eater—its prey likely included dinosaurs—had an armored snout it could use for ramming and three sets of fangs for slicing. Eye sockets turned forward enhanced stereoscopic vision to aid in hunting; large, well-developed muscles gave the jaw extra biting power.

23-10-09, 12:28	#1 (permalink)
Gole_Orkide Staff Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: No�waY ツ Posts: 15,095 Credits: 89,563 Thanks: 587 Thanked 5,928 Times in 2,247 Posts	King Crocs,. (National Geographic) This vigilant yellow eye belongs to a Nile crocodile, a fearsome hunter perfected by epochs of evolutionary trial and error. Over the course of 240 million years, these predators and their kin have come to rule the netherworld between dry land and deep water. But as their habitats dwindle, many croc species face an uncertain future. An early croc forerunner, Desmatosuchus inhabited low-lying floodplains in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the late Triassic. Its bony plates, or osteoderms, are also found in living crocodilians. The Nile crocodile's tail helps propel its surprising leap, demonstrated in Bazoulé, Burkina Faso, where people have worshipped crocs for centuries. Famous for its bone-crushing jaws, a Nile crocodile also dominates with the help of powerful legs, which allow it to strike quickly and pull down adult wildebeests. Armed Louisianans snare an eight-foot alligator on a chicken-baited hook. "It's like pulling in a log," says a hunter, "until the alligator sees you. Then the battle begins." The state manages a healthy annual harvest of some 34,000 wild and 240,000 farm-raised alligators. Last year the hides and meat brought in nearly $60 million. Croc World Living crocodilians, which include two species of alligators, six kinds of caimans, 14 types of crocodiles, and the lone species of gharial, all reside within 2,600 miles of the Equator, though their ancestors ranged nearly from Pole to Pole. Some species, such as the American alligator and Nile crocodile, are thriving, but many others are declining as humans expand into croc habitat. Some, such as the African dwarf crocodile (above), are hunted for their meat. A few species, notably the gharial, may go extinct within a decade in the wild. Boarcroc This 20-foot-long meat-eater—its prey likely included dinosaurs—had an armored snout it could use for ramming and three sets of fangs for slicing. Eye sockets turned forward enhanced stereoscopic vision to aid in hunting; large, well-developed muscles gave the jaw extra biting power. __________________ ツ Q♠ Q♦ Q♣ Q♥ Asraare Azal Raa Na To Daani O Na Man, Vin Halle MoaMaa Na To Daani O Na Man,. Hast Az Pase Parde GofteGooye Man O To, Chon ParDe Bar Oftad Na To Maani O Na Man,. © ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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