Crocodilian

Crocodilians (order Crocodilia) are a group of semiaquatic reptiles that include the alligators, crocodiles, and gharials. All are semiaquatic carnivores that serve as apex predators in many ecosystems. All species have tough scaled hide, long snouts lined with teeth and eyes, ears and nostrils on the top of the head. Today, there are 28 species of crocodilian - two species of gharial, threatened crocodilians from tropical Asia, eight species of alligator comprising the North American and Chinese alligators plus six species of Central and South American caiman and eighteen species of crocodile from warm environments on every continent except Europe and Antarctica. Because of their size and dangerousness to humans, crocodiles often appear in many different cultures.

## Appearances in Dorling Kindersley Vision media

The Nile crocodile is the most commonly-appearing reptile species in Dorling Kindersley Vision programmes, appearing in eighteen different episodes. Both the American alligator and saltwater crocodile round out the top ten most common reptiles in the shows, both appearing in seven episodes. Collectively, twenty-four episodes contain a species of crocodilian.

### See How They Grow

In See How They Grow, the life-cycle of an American alligator is one of the segments of Jungle Animals.

### Eyewitness

All three seasons of Eyewitness have episodes that contain a crocodilian, with eight episodes in all. Seasons one and three both have three episodes, while season two has two episodes. The introductory sequences for all three seasons have a young American alligator appear in them.

* **SEASON ONE**: Reptile, Dinosaur, Skeleton
* **SEASON TWO**: Pond and River, Prehistoric Life
* **SEASON THREE**: Survival, Monster, Life

While Reptile contains the most information about the crocodilians, it is actually Pond and River where the most species appear - it is the only episode in all the DK Vision series where all four of the crocodilian species shown on-screen appear.

### Amazing Animals

All four seasons of Amazing Animals contain crocodilians. They appear most in season three, with five episodes. In season one, four episodes contain a crocodilian, while seasons two and four each have two episodes.

* **SEASON ONE**: Animal Weapons, Armoured Animals, Animal Babies, Animal Journeys
* **SEASON TWO**: Animal Records, Prehistoric Animals
* **SEASON THREE**: Animal Hunters, Animal Talk, Animal Neighbors, Creepy Crawly Animals, Animal Eggs
* **SEASON FOUR**: Scaly Animals, River Animals

As with Eyewitness, all four species of crocodilian shown on-screen in Dorling Kindersley Vision appear in Amazing Animals.

Crocodiles are the winners of two Golden Gecko Awards, in Prehistoric Animals and Scaly Animals, and also win a silver award in Animal Eggs. This makes them the second most successful animals in the awards.

As well as the real crocodilians, Amazing Animals also includes a cartoon Crocodile that occasionally appears from the second season - in all, the character appears in seven episodes.

### Creatures Fantastic

Crocodilians appear in two of the episodes of Creatures Fantastic so far recovered. In Dragons, both Nile and saltwater crocodiles are shown. The Nile crocodile is linked to the serpent dragon Apep from ancient Egypt, with information about the cult of Sobek in Crocodilopolis. Different features of dragons shared with the crocodile are explored, including the idea that dragons guarding treasure may have been inspired by dead crocodiles buried with gold in Egypt. As well as the stock footage of real crocodiles, a puppet crocodile appears when interaction with people is required.

Nile and saltwater crocodiles both appear again in The Underworld. The puppet crocodile reappears again to represent Ammit (although a brief picture of her as a crocodile-lion-hippo composite appears, the episode describes her specifically as a crocodile monster); the crocodile as a devourer of the souls of the damned is mentioned in this episode.

## Total species

Just four species of crocodilian appear in Dorling Kindersley Vision programmes:

* Nile crocodile, *Crocodylus niloticus*
* Saltwater crocodile, *Crocodylus porosus*
* American alligator, *Alligator mississippiensis*
* Spectacled caiman, *Caiman crocodilus*

## Gallery

Nile crocodileAmerican alligatorSpectacled caiman