Crocodile Teeth
- crocodile teeth number
The number of teeth in crocodiles varies from one species to another, as the dwarf crocodile has 60 teeth, while the huge gharial crocodile has 110 teeth, and saltwater crocodiles have 66 teeth, so there are 18 teeth on each side of the upper jaw, and 15 teeth on each side of the lower jaw.
Crocodile teeth are characterized by their conical shape, which are very sharp teeth that penetrate and hold the prey instead of chewing and cutting it. To crush turtles and skulls easily.
The fourth tooth of the lower jaw sticks above the upper lip of the crocodile when it closes its mouth, so this tooth can be seen when the crocodile's mouth is closed, but it cannot be seen in some types of crocodiles, such as alligators, as its mouth completely covers this tooth.
- Replacement of teeth in a crocodile
The life of a crocodile depends largely on its huge mouth, especially its teeth, and one of the distinguishing features of a crocodile’s teeth is that it is replaced in waves, that is, many times during its life, as the teeth are replaced in small crocodiles along the jaw starting from the back, then towards the front, and as the crocodile progresses in Ages are swapped from front to back.
Crocodile teeth are gradually replaced over time and do not fall out at once or a whole group, as each new tooth is located under the cavity of the old or damaged tooth, and then moves to replace it within a very short time, and the total number of crocodile teeth during its entire life can reach up to 8000 Tooth, replacement occurs during its life approximately every 20 months, then the replacement process slows down as the crocodile ages, and usually stops completely in older individuals.
How does a crocodile clean its teeth?
The plover, or what is known as the Egyptian plover, or Egyptian plover, or Pluvianus aegyptius, puts its head inside the crocodile's mouth to remove pieces of meat stuck between the crocodile's teeth using its sharp beak as a toothpick, thus feeding the plover itself, while removing parasites from the crocodile's mouth, and thus the relationship between the plover and the crocodile is a symbiotic relationship, as they benefit from each other.
It is worth noting that the crocodile cannot sweat through its skin like humans, or through its feet, as dogs do, so the crocodile suns its body on the banks of rivers to expose itself to heat, and then its mouth is open, and although crocodiles swallow their prey completely, some meat is stuck between Her teeth cannot be cleaned by herself.
- Crocodile food and predation
Crocodiles are carnivores, as they hunt any object that is located along the shore, or lives in the water, and gharial crocodiles prefer to eat fish, so that they catch them near the bottom of the river, as they initially move slowly, and then increase the speed of their lateral movement, to catch fish near their jaws Crocodiles can go without food for many months between each meal, but when they are hungry they eat during one meal up to half their weight.
Crocodiles do not chew their food but cut or tear it into large pieces, and then swallow them, and they can swallow the prey whole if it is small in size, as the crocodile moves the food inside its mouth, then returns its head back so that the food can slide down its throat, and the crocodile diet includes many Of foods, according to the size of the crocodile, and what it can eat, including the following:
- fish.
- turtle.
- the birds.
- pigs.
- frogs.
- monkeys.
- deer.
- buffalo
The American alligator feeds on fish, invertebrates, birds, frogs, and mammals, as it hunts its prey during the night, then drags it underwater to drown, then swallows it, and the epiglottis in its throat helps it swallow a large prey completely immersed in the water
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