Small crocodiles eat insects, frogs, and other small animals living in or near water. Gavialis and Tomistoma east mostly fish. They are territorial during the breeding season and aggressively warn intruders, often with vocalizations. Sounds produced by crocodiles are quite diverse including roars, grunts, coughs, and purs. Crocodiles hear well and their senses of smell and ehesight are also well developed.
Predation is usualy nocturnal and in or near water.
Drowining is often used to kill prey. Crocodiles don't chew and swallow their food as a whole or as big chunks. All species examined so far show temperature-dependent sex determination. Crocodiles guard their nests and some species might even help the hatchlings to leave the nest buy breaking it open and carrying the babies to the water in their mouths. Paleosuchus trigonatus lays eggs in mound nests next to termite nests in the forest.