So as is our custom today we will go into the classroom to learn a little more about wildlife as we continue to learn more about the conservation of these animals and the challenges facing these animals not to mention the challenges facing various authorities in the country dealing with wildlife conservation.
In a series of previous articles I focused on describing animals in a group of animals known as mammals (i.e. animals that give birth and suckle their young). Today I'm going to go out a little bit of this group and blink a little at another animal group known as reptiles.
This group of reptiles is home to many species of animals and is divided into many species. Examples of animals found in this group of reptiles are all species of snakes and all species of lizards without forgetting turtles and turtles. In the history of organic evolution these reptiles are very old before humans.
One of the great species of some of these animals that has a distinction from other animals in the world is the ability to use their tongue to use features in the atmosphere that help them to know the direction of spices but also to recognize the smell of distant objects through the tongue.
In today's article I will touch on one animal in this group of reptiles that most of us know only superficially but there is so much and amazing about that animal. The animal is none other than the Crocodile and especially known as the Nile Crocodile.
INTRODUCTION
As I have already pointed out above, crocodiles are among the animals found in the reptiles group. There are so many types of crocodiles in the world in general and there are those that are found only on some continents and not every continent will find those crocodiles. Crocodiles vary depending on the environment in which they live but also for a person who specializes in wildlife disciplines can differentiate crocodiles even by looking at their genetic makeup by looking at the size of their bodies and the shape of crocodile beaks as they vary greatly from one species to another.
A good example is how to distinguish the Nile crocodiles from the American alligator by looking at their beaks so I can clearly see that you will distinguish more easily.
So I urge you, dear reader of this article, to read this article from beginning to end as you will learn a lot about the Nile crocodile but you will also learn things that you certainly did not know about crocodiles in general. This article will also give you an overview of the characteristics of crocodiles, especially in terms of their behavior, behavior, and breed.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF MILE NILE.
They are large lizard-shaped animals with long tails and very strong muscles due to the muscles in their tails. These crocodiles are the largest of all crocodile species found in Africa.
These crocodiles have a wide variety of bodies, ranging from green, brown, and gray. The upper part of the back has black leather straps.
The lower part, ie the abdomen and chest, are yellow.
Their bodies are surrounded by geometric scales that are at the bottom of the scales that contain bone mineral deposits of phosphorus and calcium carbonate. These scales are part of the scalp.
They have slender heads with eyes, ears and nostrils visible at the top of the head. These crocodiles have green eyes.
The upper and lower jaws of these crocodiles match the width. This is one of the characteristics that distinguishes these crocodiles from the American crocodile (American Alligator). They are estimated to have between 64-68 teeth while the first 4 teeth appear even when they have closed their mouths.
They have short legs, the front legs have 5 toes, they are not silent while the hind legs have 4 toes that look better and the 5th is very small which is invisible to the outside. Of the 4 hind toes, 3 have claws and are connected to the trunk (skin membrane between the toes).
Crocodiles have the ability to hear outside and inside the water as well. The ability to hear in water is due to having a membrane around the skull which helps to transmit sound vibrations into the water in the middle ear.
These animals also have the ability to see inside and out of the water and studies have shown the ability to see at 270 degrees.
Crocodiles are very different from other creatures. They have to push the liver against the ability so that it can expel air and when they separate me from the person then it helps them to absorb large amounts of oxygen into the body.
They are able to do their activities all summer, day and night, but they usually do it at night. During the day it is most noticeable when they rest in the shade especially under trees or even in the sun. During the hot summer months these animals leave their mouths open to help recover from their bodies.
The older males who are the main rulers tend to guard the empire where on dry land the empire can reach a height of 60 meters and on the water it is estimated to be 50 meters. . He who loses in this race then raises his head and signifies that he has failed and has no power to rule the empire or to lead the nations.While males are fighting to dominate the empire, females also fight to lead a group of other females within the empire. He who loses in this race then raises his head and signifies that he has failed and has no power to rule the empire or to lead the nations.
KIMO AND WEIGHT
Height = Adult crocodiles reach a height of 5-6 meters equivalent to 16-20 feet
Weight = Reaches 225-900 kg.
Did You Know !!!!!
1. The big crocodile makes a sound where each sound has its own meaning?
Crocodiles are not given 5 different sounds and each sound has its own meaning. There is a voice made by males signifying dominion and preventing other males from entering his empire. Other sounds are given by the male to attract females to come into the empire for breeding. Other sounds are made by these animals when they feel there is danger. The 4th voice is given to the male when he sees a male entering his realm and the fifth voice and the females to protect the children when they feel there is danger.
2.Crocodiles are able to live very long without?
Crocodiles have a very high ability to survive for months without eating. Studies show that these crocodiles have the ability to survive for 6 months or more without eating.
3.The gender of the crocodile offspring that will emerge from the nest temperature?
The sex of crocodile offspring depends on the temperature of the part where the female lays her eggs. If the area has a temperature of 30 ºC degrees Celsius most babies come out of the nest, if the temperature is 31 ºC degrees Celsius then there will be at least that between females and males and if the nest temperature is 32 ºC degrees Celsius then a large percentage of. they are males.
4. Crocodiles are the most powerful animals with the most aggressive jaws in the world. It is estimated that the crocodile's ability to bite is 8 times greater than the fish known as the great white shark.
5. Larger crocodiles swallow rocks and become submerged but also help them to balance their sleep in the water. Studies show that these stones contribute to one percent (1%) of their body weight.
LOCATIONS AVAILABLE MILE NILE
These crocodiles are found in Africa and we here in Tanzania are among the few countries that are proud to have only a large number of these crocodiles in the country. There are some countries it is believed these crocodiles existed but so far they have disappeared in those countries. An example is the Middle Eastern countries it is believed that these crocodiles were once found in some areas but have now disappeared.
ENVIRONMENT
Crocodiles are animals that are able to survive on water and on land. The preferred environment for crocodiles to live is in rivers, freshwater lakes and mangrove swamps.
GROWTH
As we have seen above, crocodiles are able to stay very long without eating.
Studies show that the crocodile's digestive system is very complex and that this gives it the ability to digest difficult substances such as bones that it swallows without digesting them.
70% of crocodile crocodiles are fish. However, some of the animals that these crocodiles hunt the most and especially when they enter the water are deer, armadillo, wildebeest, zebra and zebra.
The crocodile's food system is slightly similar to that of birds and more closely resembled that of lizards. The only thing that distinguishes crocodiles from other reptiles in the digestive system is the presence of freezes for crocodiles while other reptiles do not have fries.
When the male becomes the ruler of the empire then he has the authority to plant the squirrels in his empire and this is after he gives a kind of sound to attract the squirrels as I mentioned above. Step-by-step sowing in the water when the laying time is approaching the female seeks a good place out of the water and lays eggs.
The female usually lays her eggs along the riverbank, where she digs a hole and lays her eggs. This helps him to protect them more easily. In one breeding season the female lays between 25 and 100 eggs. The females are seen laying eggs often from November to December and completing 3 months of hatching. The female is obliged to protect the eggs against other crocodiles so that they do not hatch.
As the crocodile's offspring get closer to the eggs, they begin to make noises and this keeps the female close to her nest for the safety of her young. Studies show that babies begin to cry half an hour before they hatch and then the female is forced to start digging the nest to show the babies from the ground and take them to the water. The female uses her beak to carry the babies to the water and is able to carry more than 10 babies at a time.
In the water the mother stays with the children around to protect them physically and materially from enemies. When a mother feels the danger of the sound that causes the babies to drown in the water and hide to avoid the danger. Some crocodile babies die before the perception of potential is due to distant enemies including natural enemies and others are outside their environment. More than 40 percent of crocodile babies die before they even start.
Crocodile offspring start to breed, especially females when they are 10 years old and above. These crocodiles have the potential to live 45 years onwards and in natural habitats. Although studies show that if they are domesticated then they can live up to 80 years.
STORAGE.
It is a matter of pride that the animals have not yet become endangered in the world and that their numbers are still relatively high. This is due to research conducted by various agencies around the world but also to information provided by the United Nations Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Although the number of these animals is quite reasonable, this does not mean that these animals are challenging in everyday life. There are so many challenges facing these crocodiles and we will briefly describe them in the following sections.
DANGER
It is very difficult for a crocodile to attack a person out of the water. So many reports of crocodile attacks against humans invading the water. So to avoid this problem we must be careful with the use of water in environments that contain crocodiles or are believed to have crocodiles.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MAMBA
Crocodiles are very important to ecology as they are important to replenish the number of other animals and create an environment conducive to the number of remaining animals. But also in terms of ecological equality these crocodiles help to eat catfish which if crocodiles were present then these catfish would be very numerous and eat some fish which are food for birds that live along the water sources.
For those with crocodile farming permits they benefit in two different ways. First they benefit from the crocodile meat business where the price of one kilogram of crocodile meat is very high compared to other animals.
Not only meat but also crocodile skin is a very good business as its skin is used to make various products such as belts, bags and even some handbags apart from mothers or fathers for carrying copies.
Tourism especially for wildlife park areas as people visit these places just to see crocodiles and leave only a large amount of money.
The government also benefits greatly from tourism and the country is a major foreign exchange earner with a large number of tourists from various countries. A good example is the migration season of wildebeests, zebras and other antelope species, during this season many tourists like to witness crocodiles hunting wild animals in the Masai River once. This mule migration event is one of the wonders of the world.
THE CHALLENGES HAVE A FOOTBALL
Conflicts between humans and crocodiles; this is one of the biggest challenges facing crocodiles as the areas where they live are in water where that water is a very important resource for humans. This condition leads to deaths as people are attacked by crocodiles while going to water sources and even livestock have grown up suffering from this condition. This killing of crocodiles as revenge and causing them to give up some places.
Poaching; crocodiles have been heavily hunted illegally by poachers. This is due to the value of crocodile products like meat, skin and even their nails. This condition contributes to the extinction of these animals and the risk of extinction in some areas. For example in the 1960's these animals were hunted to the point of extinction in Egypt. In the 2009 IUCN publication, crocodiles were the leading crocodiles in the market for crocodiles in the world.
Fishermen's nets; Many riverine areas or water sources have conservation activities going on in very large quantities. There are times when fishermen are forced to lower their nets and leave them in the water all day long to catch enough fish. These nets sometimes catch them until crocodiles, especially small crocodiles and fail to eventually lose their lives by being caught by the nets. But they are also eaten by some fish or other large crocodiles when they are trapped and unable to get out of the nets.
Pollution; Some areas have been severely affected by the effects of pollution, especially on water sources. This pollution has led to the environment in which these crocodiles live greatly disturbed and led the crocodiles to move to other areas just to avoid the effects of pollution. Some industries have been causing water pollution due to the factories that produce them enter water sources and depletion of water in the water leading to these crocodiles having trouble breathing in the water.
Invasive plants; These are plants that are not native to the area and grow for a variety of reasons. These plants significantly affect crocodile breeding grounds. For example, plants that grow crocodile nest sites apply to the temperature of the nests due to crawling on the ground. So if the temperature decreases then it is that the offspring that will emerge from the eggs can be all wives as I have already explained above. The effect of having more than one sexual offspring then affects the entire breeding system for these crocodiles.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO AVOID THESE CHALLENGES ESPECIALLY HERE IN TANZANIA.
The government should try to supply water to the villages, especially in the villages around the water sources as there have been many cases of people and crocodiles when they go looking for water. If access to water gets to their areas faster and faster then there will be no reason for people to go to those areas and this will significantly reduce the incidence of crocodiles attacking people.
The Ministry of Natural Resources, through various procurement authorities in the country, will address the challenges of poaching and improve the illegal trade in meat and other crocodile products. Some crocodiles are found in protected areas and some are outside protected areas. For crocodiles outside the reserve they are the ones most affected by poaching.
Wildlife reserve authorities in crocodile reserves such as Rubondo Island, Saanane, Gombe National Park and Masai Mara areas in the Serengeti national park are working hard to eradicate net use, especially small nets that have had a profound effect on crocodiles. . It is clear that all the areas under national parks do not allow for any work and walking and photography, so if it signifies any transport in those areas then the authorities do not have the authority to bring the problem immediately to prevent the impact of users appearing later. .
They have ecology in wildlife sanctuaries where crocodiles work hard every day, week or month when crocodile breeding grounds remain in their natural habitat to prevent invasive plants from dominating the area. This results in the effects of the same sex in crocodile nests due to temperature changes.
There is a great need to provide conservation education to the public to realize the importance of teaching in general. The government generates a lot of foreign exchange through tourism which in one way or another is contributed by the presence of wildlife in the country. Communities have been benefiting from wildlife conservation such as the construction of classrooms, clinics, bridges and many other social activities such as the construction of fences and other social projects.
CONCLUSION
Crocodiles are animals that are rarely spoken in human mouths as most people do not know the value of these animals. The fact is that crocodiles are very valuable and crocodile breeders are the ones who know the value of these animals. Similarly, wildlife conservation authorities know in detail how some visitors come to the country only to witness crocodiles.
Apart from being a large percentage of these animals their lives are in the water, but they have been facing various challenges; 90% of them are human. So we can say that the greatest enemy of the crocodile is human and also this human being seems to be the greatest enemy to so many wildlife.
Wildlife conservation is not only the responsibility of the government through the relevant conservation authorities but also the responsibility of every Tanzanian for the welfare and welfare of these animals. It is very difficult for anyone in the city to realize the value of these animals as they do not see the direct benefits of these animals.
The government through respect for tourism builds hospital buildings and clinics, roads, schools and bridges. All of these factors in general lead to significant economic growth in the country.