Introduction:

Discover the reptile left from the dinosaur age!

Crocodiles are survivors from the dinosaur age. A crocodile then looked very much like it does now. Crocodiles belong to a reptile family that didn’t become extinct like most dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

The features of the crocodile today are very similar to what they were 15 million years ago. A crocodile’s armor-plated skin is made up of tough scales called scutes. Those are reinforced from bony plates just below the surface.

Prehistoric crocodiles were giants, some up to 40 feet (13 meters) long! They preyed on other reptiles, including small dinosaurs. Other prehistoric crocodiles were as small as lizards.

Crocodiles have been honored throughout history. Egyptians in the town of Crocodilopolis had a crocodile god. The ancient Egyptian god of water, Sobek, was in the shape of a crocodile. Alligators, from the same reptilian family as crocodiles, got their name from ‘el lagarto,’ the Spanish word for lizard!

The estuarine-or saltwater- crocodile from Australia and Southeast Asia is the biggest of all crocs! This massive croc is the only one to swim in the sea. They live in estuaries along the coast and can grow BIGGGG! The largest saltwater crocodile on record was 27 feet (9 meters) in length and weighed two tons!

Ancient Aboriginal rock art depicts crocodiles along with other sacred animals from the Dreamtime. According to their ancient beliefs, the Aboriginal people imagine the spirits of the dead live on in crocodiles and other animals and reptiles native to Australia.

With the coming of European colonists, crocodile habitats became crowded with humans. Both enjoyed the living conditions along the Australian coastal areas. Unfortunately, they couldn’t cohabitate as both were creating a problem for the other! Not only did crocodiles hunt their prey from the rivers as animals came to drink, they also have the ability to leap as much as (3) meters (9 feet) out the water after a meal! Crocs began feeding on livestock, and then humans nearly hunted the crocs out of existence.

In 1972, crocodile hunting was banned in Australia. It is believed that around 270,000 saltwater crocodile skins and between 200,000 and 300,000 freshwater crocodile skins were exported from Australia before the ban. To meet consumer needs for their meat and their skins, crocodile farms now raise crocs. Poaching of these reptiles has become less of a problem. The croc farms have also become a major tourist attraction, especially at feeding time!

Vocabulary:

• export
• poacher
• cohabitate
• estuary
• prey
• ban

Materials:

• a roll of paper to use for a timeline
• markers, colored pencilsclip art to supplement text
• clip art to supplement text
• resource material about crocodile habits and habitats
• journals to record facts and data

Preparation:

• Locate resources providing information about crocodiles, fact and fiction. (Hint-Remember the crocodile in Peter Pan? Captain Hook certainly does!)
• Investigate a variety of timelines, identifying intervals that would suit the subject of crocodile history from prehistoric times.
• Gather the materials needed to create a class timeline.

Procedure:

• Research the evolution of crocodiles.
• Determine suitable intervals for a timeline of crocodile history.
• Create a timeline depicting the development of crocodiles since prehistoric time.
• List the years of noteworthy events in croc history discovered in class research.
• Supplement the timeline with clip art, drawings, or photos to create visual images.
• Share the timeline with other classes. Develop math problems for classmates to solve as they work down the timeline, discovering the students’ crocodile facts.
• Record observations in student journals.

Analyze and Conclude:

• Are dates on the timeline listed in chronological order? Are the intervals correctly labeled?
• Is the information listed an accurate accounting of crocodile history?
• Do the events listed on the timeline give the reader a sense of crocodile evolution?
• Do timeline events cover crocodile history from a variety of cultural viewpoints? Can the reader understand the impact of crocodiles in the Aboriginal culture, from an environmentalist’s point of view, or a stockman trying to raise sheep or cattle in croc infested areas?

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