### animal | vertebrate | reptile:

Crocodilian
* All crocodilians are cold-blooded, which means they rely on their environment for warmth
  - semi-aquatic
  - have strong jaw muscles for biting and holding prey
* Most crocodilians are classified with lizard snake turtles
  - other reptiles
  - shy, but some have been known to attack people
* Most crocodilians have hearts
  - metabolism
  - slow metabolism
* Most crocodilians live in freshwater habitats, though some venture into salt water
  - the tropics
* Most crocodilians prefer environments
  - food
  - fresh food
* Most crocodilians rely on external heat sources
  - utilize proteins
* Some crocodilians also use their tails to knock prey off the bank and into the water
  - attack humans
  - have equivalents
  - reduce cost
  - retain features
* also communicate by means of smell.
* also have keen eyesight above water, similar to that of an owl's
  - reflective layer called a tapetum lucidum which is similar to cats and dogs
* are amazingly successful animals in their natural environment
  - carnivores
  - carnivorous animals whose diets change with age
  - confined to the tropics and subtropics
  - extremely energy efficient
  - generally solitary by nature
  - known to swallow stones, known as gastroliths, which help digest their prey
  - meat-eaters
  - one of the only orders of reptiles that offer maternal care to their young
  - quadrupeds
* are semi-aquatic carnivores that includes crocodiles, alligators, caiman and gharials
  - predators that have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs
* are the most intelligent reptiles today
  - reptiles that breathe in a manner most similar to humans
  - well adapted to water, as well as land
  - well-adapted as predators, with few natural enemies
* can consume a variety of foods
  - survive months between meals
  - vocalize and communicate even before they hatch from the egg
* continue to grow their entire lives, even after sexual maturity has been reached.
* eat fish and other water-dwelling animals, including capybaras, snakes, and birds.
* have a complex brain with a cerebral cortex
  - social structure that is poorly understood
  - flexible, semi-erect posture
  - similar salt-secreting gland in the tongue
  - unique natural history that creates special challenges for their conservation
  - an elongate open-ear canal
  - community nurseries where one mother watches over the hatchlings of many
  - keen hearing
  - no lips
* includes brains
  - breasts
  - cell membranes
  - cells
  - chest cavities
  - chests
  - corpi
  - cytoplasm
  - ears
  - faces
  - heads
  - nuclei
  - pedal extremities
  - plasma membranes
  - rib cages
  - sections
  - skulls
  - sterna
  - vacuoles
  - vertebrate feet
* inhabit all continents except Europe and Antarctica.
* literally range across the map.
* live in some of the most insanitary conditions
  - only in regions where the climate remains warm year-round
* often bask following feeding to warm the body and aid digestion.
* only mate at certain times of year, within a two to three month period.
* possess a most beautiful skin
  - vertical, elliptical pupils, which are usually contracted during daylight
* suffer from a prevalence of 'big fish' stories and over-exaggeration.
* tend to slough the skin in small pieces almost like dander.
* use a variety of calls, smells and water behavior to communicate with each other
  - several methods of attack when pursuing live prey
* usually capture prey by a. b. c. d. chasing after prey on land.