Philosophy
Crocodiles have been around virtually unchanged (externally at least) for a very long time, at least since the time of the dinosaurs. We mammals may think of ourselves as the present culmination of the evolutionary process, but crocodiles achieved the equivalent of anatomical perfection millions of years ago, and their incredible resilience seems unaffected even by the worst of environmental catastrophes.
Sporting underwater stealth technology, massive teeth and the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom, these reptiles are ferociously successful predators: once they grab a hold of you, there's no escaping, and death is inflicted either by drowning or by shredding you to pieces... and then swallowing your whole body. Thanks to one of the most intriguing and sophisticated heart systems found in nature, they also have the ability to digest flesh, bones and hooves as if they were cake. What does the heart have to do with digestion? You're about to find out; it's really quite remarkable.
Plenty of predators have gone the way of the dodo, however, so there's gotta be more to crocodiles than just their superior hunting skills. As you may already imagine, their tough armor-plated exterior provides them with protection from external injuries, and their advanced immune system protects them from diseases that could easily kill other species.
Check out the carnage that a group of gazelles are subjected to by a pack of hungry crocs :(
And if you want to learn more about nature's giants, check out the elephant and the giraffe.
.
- Steve Irwin, Rip (from Hanno)
From Hanno: Much has already been said about the death of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter. In tribute to the many hours of entertainment and education he provided by sons and myself, I wanted to share this story. When my first son was three, we were...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Big Cats
Their loud and guttural roars can send chills up and down your spine, even from great distances. If they're running for you, and you're not protected by some sort of fence, you're dinner. If giraffes, crocodiles, zebras, wildebeests and elephants...
- Inside Nature's Giants - Great White Shark
Continuing with a second season of the fascinating documentary series Inside Nature's Giants, the team sets out to dissect and understand the inner workings of the most feared predator of the ocean: the great white shark. At first glance, you might...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Whale
In the previous episodes of the Inside Nature's Giants documentary series, you've seen the dissection of an elephant, a crocodile and a giraffe, but this series couldn't be complete without an exploration of the largest animal of all: the...
- Evolution: Evolutionary Arms Races
Evolutionary arms races are one of the most powerful forces driving evolution, giving rise to the creation and ever-increased perfection of multiple adaptations. The predator-prey relationship is one obvious example: as predators become faster generation...
Philosophy
Inside Nature's Giants - Crocodiles
Sporting underwater stealth technology, massive teeth and the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom, these reptiles are ferociously successful predators: once they grab a hold of you, there's no escaping, and death is inflicted either by drowning or by shredding you to pieces... and then swallowing your whole body. Thanks to one of the most intriguing and sophisticated heart systems found in nature, they also have the ability to digest flesh, bones and hooves as if they were cake. What does the heart have to do with digestion? You're about to find out; it's really quite remarkable.
Plenty of predators have gone the way of the dodo, however, so there's gotta be more to crocodiles than just their superior hunting skills. As you may already imagine, their tough armor-plated exterior provides them with protection from external injuries, and their advanced immune system protects them from diseases that could easily kill other species.
Check out the carnage that a group of gazelles are subjected to by a pack of hungry crocs :(
And if you want to learn more about nature's giants, check out the elephant and the giraffe.
.
- Steve Irwin, Rip (from Hanno)
From Hanno: Much has already been said about the death of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter. In tribute to the many hours of entertainment and education he provided by sons and myself, I wanted to share this story. When my first son was three, we were...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Big Cats
Their loud and guttural roars can send chills up and down your spine, even from great distances. If they're running for you, and you're not protected by some sort of fence, you're dinner. If giraffes, crocodiles, zebras, wildebeests and elephants...
- Inside Nature's Giants - Great White Shark
Continuing with a second season of the fascinating documentary series Inside Nature's Giants, the team sets out to dissect and understand the inner workings of the most feared predator of the ocean: the great white shark. At first glance, you might...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Whale
In the previous episodes of the Inside Nature's Giants documentary series, you've seen the dissection of an elephant, a crocodile and a giraffe, but this series couldn't be complete without an exploration of the largest animal of all: the...
- Evolution: Evolutionary Arms Races
Evolutionary arms races are one of the most powerful forces driving evolution, giving rise to the creation and ever-increased perfection of multiple adaptations. The predator-prey relationship is one obvious example: as predators become faster generation...