Crocodile tears - Do crocodiles really cry?

                          

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Do crocodiles really cry?

Although crocodiles produce tears when they are out of the water too long, they do not actually cry... Producing  tears is just a way to protect their eyes from drying out. One of the  most fascinating facts about crocodiles, is the fact that they lay eggs.   Even though dinosaurs have been extinct for nearly 65 million years,  the crocodile survived.   Some photos that I've taken at the River-bend crocodile farm on our last visit.

Why do crocodiles lie in the sun for hours?

Crocodiles are cold blooded.  They lie in the sun to warm up. They can not regulate their own body temperature and needs the help of the sun to warm up their bodies to a higher temperature.  Sometimes they seem very lifeless, but I would not dare to go near a crocodile just because it seems lifeless.  

Crocodiles do not discriminate like humans, and if something seems edible, they will eat it! 

A crocodile's jaws can apply 5,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. This means that they can bite through an arm or a leg with no problem. A human's jaw only produces 100 pounds of pressure per square inch.        

 Interesting Crocodile facts

• Crocodiles are mostly found in the warm regions of Africa, but also in Australia and Asia.  
• Crocodiles are classified as reptiles. 
• Crocodiles don't sweat.
• Crocodiles are cold blooded. 
• Crocodiles are carnivores and only eat meat. The fact that small  animals are not always available, they also eat live locusts (which obviously provides them with the protein that they need) 
• Crocodiles crush their prey with their jaws and swallow their food  whole without chewing. They eat small stones to help with food digestion.
• Female crocodiles can start laying eggs from the age of ten years.  
• Crocodiles can live up to 30 years, but some crocodiles even live longer up to 75 years.
• Crocodiles can go through 8000 teeth in a lifetime. 
• Crocodiles eat very little and can stay without food for almost a year. 

If you would like read more about crocodiles here are some links that might be interesting to explore. 

 https://www.livescience.com/28306-crocodiles.html

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150721-when-crocodiles-attack

We often go to the crocodile farm as we live very close by. 

This is the River bend crocodile farm -  We usually go on a Sunday when the crocodiles get fed. They feed them buckets full of chickens. 

Crocodiles basking in the sun ( I took this photo from about 5 meters away) Although it is illegal to hunt crocodiles for their skin, crocodiles are farmed commercially only for their meat and skin. Crocodile meat is  considered as a delicacy and exported all over the world.  Beautiful and VERY EXPENSIVE products are created with crocodile skin. 

  

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This handbag can cost up to $ 10 000!

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The tour guide above in the pictures told us a very funny and interesting story! 

Apparently the crocodiles hatch at specific times of the year.  These eggs are kept safe in incubators on the farm to make sure that the embryos develop perfectly, and one lot of eggs was about to hatch. They do not have the facilities on this crocodile farm to look after the small crocodiles, so he had to pack up the batch of eggs, put them in a polystyrene container and rush off to the next crocodile farm which is about a 125 km away from us.  He was driving at such a high speed as he knew that all the crocodiles would hatch in the next hour. About halfway he was stopped by a traffic officer.  

He immediately apologized as he knew he was speeding and told her that she must write the ticket he had to get to the other farm urgently.  The traffic officer thought that he was being rude, and told him that he is not allowed to leave and she wants to see his driver license and she wants to inspect his car.  He told her that it was impossible for him to open the boot of the car as he could hear some of the crocodiles hatched already.  She obviously did not believe him and forced him to open the boot.  She had the fright of her life when he opened the boot and a whole lot of small crocodiles were sitting there ready to eat their first meal. She shouted and told him to drive as fast as he could! That is the best excuse ever,to talk yourself out of a speeding ticket.  

I hope you enjoyed to learn a little about crocodiles!