How long was the longest recorded crocodile?
Saltwater crocodile
The largest confirmed saltwater crocodile on record drowned in a fishing net in Papua New Guinea in 1979, its dried skin plus head measured long and it was estimated to have been when accounting for shrinkage and a missing tail tip. However, according to evidence, in the form of skulls coming from some of the largest crocodiles ever shot, the maximum possible size attained by the largest members of this species is considered to be . A governmental study from Australia accepts that the very largest members of the species are likely to measure in length and weigh . Furthermore, a research paper on the morphology and physiology of crocodilians by the same organisation estimates that saltwater crocodiles reaching sizes of would weigh around . Due to extensive poaching during the 20th century, such individuals are extremely rare today in most areas, as it takes a long time for the crocodiles to attain those sizes. Also, a possible earlier presence of particular genes may have led to such large-sized saltwater crocodiles, genes that were ultimately lost from the overall gene pool due to extensive hide and trophy hunting in the past. However, with recent restoration of saltwater crocodile habitat and reduced poaching, the number of large crocodiles is increasing, especially in Odisha. This species is the only extant crocodilian to regularly reach or exceed . A large male from Philippines, named Lolong, was the largest saltwater crocodile ever caught and placed in captivity. He was 20 ft 3 in (6.17 m), and weighed 2,370 lbs (1,075 kg). Believed to have eaten two villagers, Lolong was captured on 3 September 2011, and died in captivity on 10 February 2013.
Cuvier's dwarf caiman
Cuvier's dwarf caiman is the smallest living New World crocodilian. Males grow to a maximum length around while females do not usually exceed . The largest specimen on record measured in length. This may be an underestimate of the animal's maximum size, as nearly all large adults have lost the tips of their tails and the largest specimen measured in the Pantanal region had a snout-to-vent length of (equivalent to a total length of with an intact tail). An adult typically weighs around , around the same weight as a 6– to 12-month-old specimen of several larger species of crocodilians. Cuvier's dwarf caiman has strong body armour on both its dorsal (upper) and ventral (lower) sides, which may compensate for its small body size in reducing predation. The dermal scales providing this protection have a bony base and are known as osteoderms.
Cephalopod size
The largest known complete specimen of the colossal squid was a mature female captured in the Ross Sea in February 2007. Its weight was initially estimated at , its mantle length at , and its total length at (O'Shea & Bolstad, 2008; [Anonymous],). Once completely thawed the specimen was found to weigh , but to measure only in mantle length and in total length ([Anonymous],). It is likely that the specimen, and particularly its tentacles, shrank considerably "post mortem" as a result of dehydration, having been kept in a freezer for 14 months. (As reported by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, specimens of "Nototodarus sloanii", the New Zealand arrow squid, can shrink by as much as 22% when dehydrated with alcohol solutions; see [Anonymous],.) The colossal squid specimen contracted by a further 5% after several years in preservative fluid (first formalin and later propylene glycol; see Lovis, 2011). The fins of the 2007 Ross Sea specimen measured around across and it had a mantle width of ([Anonymous],). The arms ranged in length from to , while the two tentacles were around long ([Anonymous],).
Akanthosuchus
"Akanthosuchus" was a moderately sized crocodilian. The thigh bone of NMMNH NP-139 was long, and the shin was long. However, this specimen may not have been fully grown. Based on growth rings, Hill and Lucas suggest that it was no younger than eight years old when it died. The tail may have been relatively short, given the reduction of bony projections on known tail vertebrae. The armor was unusual in having elongate spikes or broad blades. Its scutes came in four basic types: square (13%, keeled or unkeeled), oval (27%, keeled), bladed (<1%, similar to oval but with a much exaggerated triangular keel), and spiked (60%, square-based, conical and blunt). The spikes were nearly as tall as the base of their scutes were long, rising up to . They contacted only one other scute each, and may have been arranged in paired sets down the midline of the back and tail, and along the sides of the animal. Single rows of paired oval scutes may have filled in between the spiked rows. The bladed scutes, an extreme of the oval scute form, may have been found at the ends of the oval scute rows. The square scutes may have been restricted to one area, such as the neck and shoulders, or they may represent the belly armor.
Cephalopod size
Perhaps the largest of all recorded giant squid specimens was the one found floating at the surface off Saint-Gilles, Réunion, on 4 March 2016 (Romanov "et al.", 2017). Although due to its great size the specimen could not be retrieved in its entirety, the head and arm crown were saved. Crucially, this meant the beak could be measured to estimate the mantle length and total length of the specimen. Using different allometric scaling equations, the lower rostral length of the beak, at , gave an estimated dorsal mantle length of and this, in turn, was used to estimate the total length at (Romanov "et al.", 2017).
Jiaolong
Besides a legendary dragon, "jiao" and "jiaolong" anciently named a four-legged water creature, identified as both "alligator" and "crocodile". The "Dragons and Snakes" section of the (1578 CE) "Bencao Gangmu", which is a comprehensive Chinese materia medica, differentiates (tr. Read 1934:314-318) between "jiaolong" 蛟龍 (or "e" ) "Saltwater Crocodile, "Crocodylus porosus"" and "tolong" 鼉龍 "Chinese Alligator, "Alligator sinensis"". Most early references describe the "jiaolong" as living in rivers, which fits not only this freshwater "Chinese alligator" but also the "Saltwater crocodile" that spends the tropical wet season in freshwater rivers and swamps. Comparing maximum lengths of 8 and 1.5 meters for this crocodile and alligator respectively, "Saltwater crocodile" seems more consistent with descriptions of "jiao" reaching lengths of several "zhang" "approximately 3.3 meters".
Australian Reptile Park
Eric the crocodile died on 30 June 2007 from a systemic infection, exacerbated because staff couldn't treat him due to power outages caused by storms in the area. His vet, Peter Nosworthy, believes age made him susceptible to the infection, while his size made it impossible to administer intensive care. At 5.6m long and 700 kg, Eric was the largest crocodile in New South Wales at the time of his death. A memorial to Eric is now at the rear of the park.
Terrestrisuchus
Terrestrisuchus ('land crocodile') is an extinct genus of early crocodylomorph that was about 50 cm (1 ft 8 in) long. Fossils have been found in the British Isles and date from the Late Triassic.
Crocodile
The largest crocodile ever held in captivity is an estuarine–Siamese hybrid named Yai (, meaning big) (born 10 June 1972) at the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo, Thailand. This animal measures in length and weighs .
Saltwater crocodile
The saltwater crocodile ("Crocodylus porosus"), also known as the estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile or informally as saltie, is the largest of all living reptiles, as well as the largest riparian predator in the world. Males of this species can reach sizes up to in length. However, an adult male saltwater crocodile rarely reaches or exceeds a size of weighing . Females are much smaller and often do not surpass .
Hypselosaurus
"Hypselosaurus" was a proposed to be in length, when it was considered a crocodilian, which would have made it one of the largest of the group. However, a modern estimate as a titanosaur has put "Hypselosaurus" at around , with a very rough weight estimate of . One of the smaller titanosaurs, "Neuquensaurus", measures only long.
Crocodilia
Growth in hatchlings and young crocodilians depends on the food supply, and sexual maturity is linked with length rather than age. Female saltwater crocodiles reach maturity at , while males mature at . Australian freshwater crocodiles take ten years to reach maturity at . The spectacled caiman matures earlier, reaching its mature length of in four to seven years. Crocodilians continue to grow throughout their lives. Males in particular continue to gain in weight as they get older, but this is mostly in the form of extra girth rather than length. Crocodilians can live 35–75 years, and their age can be determined by growth rings in their bones.
Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni
Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni is an extinct species of crocodile from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of the Turkana Basin in Kenya. It is closely related to the species "Crocodylus anthropophagus", which lived during the same time in Tanzania. "C. thorbjarnarsoni" could be the largest known true crocodile, with the largest skull found indicating a possible total length up to . It may have been a predator of early hominins. "Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni" was named by Christopher Brochu and Glenn Storrs in 2012 in honor of John Thorbjarnarson, a conservationist who worked to protect endangered crocodilians.
Sarcosuchus
Two regression equations were used to estimate the size of "S. imperator", they were created based on measurements gathered from 17 captive gharial individuals from northern India and from 28 wild saltwater crocodile individuals from northern Australia, both datasets supplemented by available measurements of individuals over in length found in the literature. The largest known skull of "S. imperator" (the type specimen) is long, and it was estimated that the individual it belonged to had a total body length of , its snout-vent length of was estimated using linear equations for the saltwater crocodile and in turn this measurement was used to estimate its body weight at . This shows that "Sarcosuchus" was able to reach a maximum body size not only greater than previously estimated but also greater than that of the Miocene "Rhamphosuchus", the Late Cretaceous "Deinosuchus" and the Miocene "Purussaurus".
Bhitarkanika National Park
In 2006, Guinness Book of World record accepted claims of a , male saltwater crocodile living within Bhitarkanika National Park. Due to the difficulty of trapping and measuring a very large living crocodile, the accuracy of these dimensions is yet to be verified. These observations and estimations have been made by park officials over the course of ten years, from 2006 to 2016, however, regardless of the skill of the observers it cannot be compared to a verified tape measurement, especially considering the uncertainty inherent in visual size estimation in the wild. According to the park report in 2006, there were 203 adults, of which 16 measured over ; 5 of these , and 3 over , as well as the preserved skeleton of a specimen which died one year earlier. A significant figure, since individuals over are considered rare, making the Bhitarkanika Park a suitable habitat for large individuals. The most recently published official park report shows an increase of adult crocodiles to 308 individuals, as well as a steady increase over the years. In future, if conservation efforts pay off, these large individuals could be more common.
Gustave (crocodile)
In "Capturing the Killer Croc", Patrice Faye and other scientists attempted to capture Gustave. According to the film, Patrice performed two years of investigations before the attempt. Patrice and his team were given a 2-month time slot for their capture attempt; thereafter a change of government would risk plunging the country into civil war. First, a trap cage weighing a tonne and nearly 9 meters (30 feet) in length was developed. The team then located Gustave and installed and baited the trap, placing a hidden infrared camera inside as well. Several kinds of bait were used, yet none of them attracted Gustave or any other creature. The scientists then installed three giant snares on strategic banks to increase their chances of capture; although smaller crocodiles were caught by the traps, Gustave was not.
Capitosauria
Capitosauria is an extinct group of large temnospondyl amphibians with simplified stereospondyl vertebrae. Mainly living as piscivores in lakes and rivers, the Capitosauria and its sister taxon Trematosauria were the only major labyrinthodonts that existed during the Mesozoic in ecological niches broadly similar to those of modern crocodiles, and some grew to very large sizes. At 6 meter in length, the Mid-Triassic "Mastodonsaurus giganteus" is not only thought to have been the largest capitosaur, but possibly also the largest amphibian to have lived. The capitosaurs enjoyed a brief period of success in the early Triassic, but with the rise of crocodiles in the middle Triassic they went into decline, and the capitosaur lineage is not known beyond the Late Triassic.
Earless monitor lizard
Earless monitor lizards typically have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about . Eighteen wild individuals, six males and twelve females, ranged from in SVL, in tail length (disregarding one individual missing much of its tail), and in weight (disregarding one sickly and skinny individual). Among these, the largest total length (SVL+tail) was a male that measured , which also is the longest recorded in the wild. A specimen collected in the 1960s has a total length of , and near the time of its death an individual kept at the Bronx Zoo from 1968 to 1976 had a total length of and weighed , but it was highly obese. When hatching the total length of the young is about . When one year old, their total length is about .
Crocodile shark
The crocodile shark is aplacental viviparous and typically gives birth to litters of four, two pups to each uterus. The gestation period is unknown but believed to be long. The embryos have yolk sacs at 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) long; once the yolk sac is fully absorbed they become oophagous: the mother produces large numbers of thin-walled egg capsules that contain 2–9 eggs each, which are then consumed by the unborn embryos. The abdomens of the embryos become characteristically distended with ingested yolk material, which can make up a quarter of the embryo's total weight. It is unclear how two crocodile shark fetuses manage to share a single uterus, when in some other oophagous mackerel sharks such as the sand tiger shark ("Carcharias taurus"), only one fetus survives in each uterus. The pups are born at approximately 40 cm (16 in) long; males attain maturity at 74–110 cm (29–43 in) and females at 89–102 cm (35–40 in). There is no defined reproductive season.
Spinosaurus
"Spinosaurus" was among the largest of all known carnivorous dinosaurs, nearly as large as or even larger than "Tyrannosaurus", "Giganotosaurus" and "Carcharodontosaurus". Estimates published in 2005, 2007, and 2008 suggested that it was between in length and in weight. New estimates published in 2014 and 2018 based on a more complete specimen, supported the earlier research, finding that "Spinosaurus" could reach lengths of . The latest estimates suggest a weight of . The skull of "Spinosaurus" was long and narrow, similar to that of a modern crocodilian. "Spinosaurus" is known to have eaten fish, and most scientists believe that it hunted both terrestrial and aquatic prey; evidence suggests that it lived both on land and in water as a modern crocodilian does. The distinctive spines of "Spinosaurus", which were long extensions of the vertebrae, grew to at least long and were likely to have had skin connecting them, forming a sail-like structure, although some authors have suggested that the spines were covered in fat and formed a hump. Multiple functions have been put forward for this structure, including thermoregulation and display.
Dinosaur size
There were larger dinosaurs, but knowledge of them is based entirely on a small number of fragmentary fossils. Most of the largest herbivorous specimens on record were discovered in the 1970s or later, and include the massive titanosaur "Argentinosaurus huinculensis", which is the largest dinosaur known from uncontroversial evidence, estimated to have been and long. Some of the longest sauropods were those with exceptionally long, whip-like tails, such as the "Diplodocus hallorum" (formerly "Seismosaurus") and the 33- to 35-metre-long (108–115 ft) "Supersaurus". The tallest was the "Brachiosaurus".
Nile crocodile
In a search for the largest crocodilian skulls in museums, the largest verifiable Nile crocodile skulls found were several housed in Arba Minch, Ethiopia, sourced from nearby Lake Chamo, which apparently included several specimens with a skull length more than , with the largest one being in length with a mandibular length of . Nile crocodiles with skulls this size are likely to measure in the range of , which is also the length of the animals according to the museum where they were found. However, larger skulls may exist, as this study largely focused on crocodilians from Asia. The detached head of an exceptionally large Nile crocodile (killed in 1968 and measuring in length) was found to have weighed , including the large tendons used to shut the jaw.
Gomek
After many years, Gomek died of heart disease on March 6, 1997. By then, he was a very old crocodile, and one of the largest and tamest captive crocodiles in existence. When he died, he was long, and weighed - as confirmed by St. Augustine Alligator Farm - and 80 years old. There is a tribute to Gomek near his enclosure, which now houses his successor Maximo and his mate Sydney.
Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo
The Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo is a crocodile zoo in Samut Prakan Province, Thailand. The park claims to hold the world's largest crocodile in captivity, named Yai, measuring and weighing . Yai is one among over 100,000 crocodiles at the farm.
Sulcusuchus
The type species "Sulcusuchus erraini" was named in 1990 by Zulma Brandoni de Gasparini and Luis Spalletti. It was at first considered to have been a dyrosaurid crocodile, hence its generic name: "trough crocodile". Its holotype, MPEF 650, was at Jacobacci, Río Negro Province, uncovered in a layer of the late Campanian La Colonia Formation. It consists of a posterior left mandible fragment of about half a meter long with an associated jaw joint condyle of the skull, lower braincase, rear palate and middle snout fragment. The outer side of the mandible shows the trough, which would be exceptional for a crocodile. The mandibula and pterygoids show grooves that may have housed electro-sensitive organs. The snout is very elongated and the pterygoids are fused.
Crocodilia
Crocodiles have been reputed to weep for their victims since the 9th century "Bibliotheca" by Photios I of Constantinople. The story was repeated in later accounts such as that of Bartholomeus Anglicus in the 13th century. It became widely known in 1400 when the English traveller Sir John Mandeville wrote his description of "cockodrills":
Freshwater crocodile
The freshwater crocodile is a relatively small crocodilian. Males can grow to long, while females reach a maximum size of . Males commonly weigh around , with large specimens up to or more, against the female weight of . In areas such as Lake Argyle and Katherine Gorge there exist a handful of confirmed individuals. This species is shy and has a more slender snout and have slightly smaller teeth than the dangerous saltwater crocodile. The body colour is light brown with darker bands on the body and tail—these tend to be broken up near the neck. Some individuals possess distinct bands or speckling on the snout. Body scales are relatively large, with wide, close-knit armoured plates on the back. Rounded, pebbly scales cover the flanks and outsides of the legs.
Lycosuchus
Lycosuchus ("wolf crocodile") is an extinct genus of carnivorous therocephalians which lived in the Middle Permian 265—260 Ma existing for approximately . It was a medium-sized predator, reaching 1.2 m (3.8 ft) in length with a skull 23 cm long.
Discovered in South Africa, it was named by paleontologist Robert Broom in 1903 and later assigned by him to Therocephalia.
Gilchristosuchus
"Gilchristosuchus" is based on RTMP 91.101.1, a partial posterior skull and a neck vertebra. The skull would have been about long when complete. It represents the first articulated crocodylomorph specimen from the Milk River Formation. Isolated remains had been found earlier and assigned to "Brachychampsa" and "Leidyosuchus"; some of these fossils probably belong to "Gichristosuchus". Although the specimen is not large, the ornamentation of the skull surfaces and bone fusion indicate it was an adult. Based on previous research, Wu and Brinkman suggested that their new genus was the most derived neosuchian that wasn't within Eusuchia, the group including all living crocodilians.
Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni
The largest "C. thorbjarnarsoni" skull found (KNM-ER 1682) measures from the tip of the snout to the back of the skull table, in comparison, the largest known extant "Crocodylus" skull is that of a saltwater crocodile, measuring . Based on regression analysis for "Crocodylus", this corresponds to a total length of but such analysis have been shown to underestimate the size of very large individuals by as much as 20%, which means it could have been as long as .
Wannagan Creek site
Reptiles are the dominant animal type preserved at Wannagan. The largest animal (~4 meters [13 ft] in length) found at the site is the eusuchian crocodilian "Borealosuchus formidabilis" (formerly known as "Leidyosuchus formidabilis"). "B. formidabilis" is also thought to be the apex predator of the fauna. The second largest reptile is the champsosaur "Champsosaurus gigas". "C. gigas" is unusual among Paleocene reptiles in that it is larger than its known Mesozoic ancestors: 3 meters (10 ft) in length versus 1.5 meters (4.5 ft) for the largest Cretaceous champsosaurs. Reptiles as a whole decreased in size after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Other reptiles include soft-shelled turtles, varanid lizards, a small alligatorid called "Wannaganosuchus", palaeophid snakes, and the snapping turtle-like "Protochelydra zangerli".
Nile crocodile
In a study, the serrated hinged terrapin ("Pelusios sinuatus") (also sometimes referred to as the "water tortoise") was more commonly reported in the stomach contents of adult crocodiles from Kruger National Park than any single mammal species. Other turtle species commonly recorded among Nile crocodile prey include the Speke's hinge-back tortoise ("Kinixys spekii") and East African black mud turtle ("Pelusios subniger"). Beyond their ready availability and respectable size, turtles are favored by big crocodiles due to their slowness, which allows the cumbersome crocodiles to capture them more easily than swifter vertebrates. While adults have a sufficient bite force to crush turtle shells, younger crocodiles sometimes are overly ambitious, and will choke to death attempting to swallow whole large river turtles. A variety of snakes has been preyed on from relatively small, innocuous species such as the common egg-eating snake ("Dasypeltis scabra") to the largest African snakes species, the African rock python ("Python sebae"), which can exceed in length and weigh over . Venomous species, including the puff adder ("Bitis arietans"), the forest cobra ("Naja melanoleuca"), and the black mamba ("Dendroaspis polylepis") have been recorded as Nile crocodile prey. The only frequently recorded lizard prey is the large Nile monitor ("Varanus niloticus"), although this mesopredator may be eaten fairly regularly, as they often share similar habitat preferences, whenever a crocodile is able to ambush the stealthy monitor, which is more agile on land than the bulkier crocodile.
Turtle
Turtle fossils of hatchling and nestling size have been documented in the scientific literature. Paleontologists from North Carolina State University have found the fossilized remains of the world's largest turtle in a coal mine in Colombia. The specimen named as "Carbonemys cofrinii" is around 60 million years old and nearly 2.4 m (8 ft) long.
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile ("Crocodylus niloticus") is an African crocodile, the largest freshwater predator in Africa, and may be considered the second-largest extant reptile and crocodilian in the world, after the saltwater crocodile ("Crocodylus porosus"). The Nile crocodile is quite widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, and southern regions of the continent, and lives in different types of aquatic environments such as lakes, rivers, and marshlands. Although capable of living in saline environments, this species is rarely found in saltwater, but occasionally inhabits deltas and brackish lakes. The range of this species once stretched northward throughout the Nile, as far north as the Nile delta. On average, the adult male Nile crocodile is between in length and weighs . However, specimens exceeding in length and weighing up to have been recorded. Sexual dimorphism is prevalent, and females are usually about 30% smaller than males. They have thick, scaly, heavily armored skin.
Komodo (island)
Van Hensbroek took the dragon to headquarters where measurements were taken. It was approximately 2.1 metres (6.9 feet) long, with a shape very similar to that of a lizard. More samples were then photographed by Peter A. Ouwens, the Director of the Zoological Museum and Botanical Gardens in Bogor, Java. The records that Ouwens made are the first reliable documentation of details about what is now called the Komodo dragon (or Komodo monitor).
Nile crocodile
At a reported incubation period of about 90 days, the stage is notably shorter than that of the American alligator (110–120 days) but slightly longer than that of the mugger crocodile. Nile crocodiles have temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), which means the sex of their hatchlings is determined not by genetics as is the case in mammals and birds, but by the average temperature during the middle third of their incubation period. If the temperature inside the nest is below 31.7 °C (89.1 °F), or above 34.5 °C (94.1 °F), the offspring will be female. Males can only be born if the temperature is within that narrow range. The hatchlings start to make a high-pitched chirping noise before hatching, which is the signal for the mother to rip open the nest. It is thought to be either difficult or impossible for hatchlings to escape the nest burrow without assistance, as the surface may become very heavy and packed above them. The mother crocodile may pick up the eggs in her mouth, and roll them between their tongue and the upper palate to help crack the shell and release her offspring. Once the eggs hatch, the female may lead the hatchlings to water, or even carry them there in her mouth, as female American alligators have been observed doing.
Hatchling Nile crocodiles are between long at first and weigh around . The hatchlings grow approximately that length each year for the first several years. The new mother will protect her offspring for up to two years, and if there are multiple nests in the same area, the mothers may form a crèche. During this time, the mothers may pick up their offspring either in their mouths or gular fold (throat pouch), to keep the babies safe. The mother will sometimes carry her young on her back to avoid the natural predators of the small crocodiles, which can be surprisingly bold even with the mother around. Nile crocodiles of under two years are much more rarely observed than larger specimens, and more seldom seen than the same age young in several other types of crocodilian. Young crocodiles are rather shy and evasive due to the formidable gaunlet of predators that they must face in sub-Saharan Africa, spending little time sunning and moving about nocturnally whenever possible. The two-year-and-younger crocodiles may spend a surprising amount of time on land, as evidenced by the range of terrestrial insects found in their stomachs, and their lifestyle may resemble a semi-aquatic mid-sized lizard more so than the very aquatic lives of older crocodiles. At the end of the two years, the hatchlings will be about long, and will naturally depart the nest area, avoiding the territories of older and larger crocodiles. After this stage, crocodiles may loosely associate with similarly sized crocodiles and many assuredly enter feeding congregations of crocodiles once they attain , at which size predators and cannibal crocodiles become much less of a concern. Crocodile longevity is not well established, but larger species like the Nile crocodile live longer, and may have a potential average life span of 70 to 100 years, though no crocodilian species commonly exceeds a lifespan of 50 to 60 years in captivity.
Crocodile
Crocodiles can move quickly over short distances, even out of water. The land speed record for a crocodile is measured in a galloping Australian freshwater crocodile. Maximum speed varies between species. Some species can gallop, including Cuban crocodiles, Johnston's crocodiles, New Guinea crocodiles, African dwarf crocodiles, and even small Nile crocodiles. The fastest means by which most species can move is a "belly run", in which the body moves in a snake-like (sinusoidal) fashion, limbs splayed out to either side paddling away frantically while the tail whips to and fro. Crocodiles can reach speeds of when they "belly run", and often faster if slipping down muddy riverbanks. When a crocodile walks quickly, it holds its legs in a straighter and more upright position under its body, which is called the "high walk". This walk allows a speed of up to 5 km/h.
Nile crocodile
The bulk and mass of individual crocodiles can be fairly variable, some animals being relatively slender, while others being very robust; females are often bulkier than males of a similar length. As an example of the body mass increase undergone by mature crocodiles, one of the larger crocodiles handled firsthand by Cott (1961) was and weighed , while the largest specimen measured by Graham and Beard (1973) was and weighed more than . In attempts to parse the mean male and female lengths across the species, the mean adult length was estimated to be reportedly in males, at which males would average about in weight, while that of the female is , at which females would average about . This gives the Nile crocodile somewhat of a size advantage over the next largest non-marine predator on the African continent, the lion ("Panthera leo"), which averages in males and in females, and attains a maximum known weight of , far less than that of large male crocodiles.
Colossal squid
The largest recorded specimen was captured in 2007 by a New Zealand fishing boat off Antarctica. It was initially estimated to measure in length and weigh . The squid was taken back to New Zealand for scientific study. A study on the specimen later showed its actual weight was , but it only measured in total length as a result of the tentacles' shrinking "post mortem".
Natural history of Trinidad and Tobago
The spectacled caiman ("Caiman crocodilus") which may grow up to a maximum of about in length, but are usually somewhat smaller are to be found throughout both islands in slow moving freshwater (including reservoirs) or brackish water along the coasts. They are shy creatures and pose no real threat to humans unless intentionally provoked or approached while nesting. It is generally considered that the few records of both the American crocodile ("Crocodylus acutus") as well as the Orinoco crocodile ("Crocodylus intermedius") in the waters and on the coasts of Trinidad and Tobago were, for the most part, waifs from mainland South America.
Saltwater crocodile
Female size: Adult females typically measure from in total length and weigh . Large mature females can reach and can weigh up to . The largest female on record measured about in total length. Female are thus similar in size to other species of large crocodiles and average slightly smaller than females of some other species, at least the Nile crocodile. The saltwater crocodile has the greatest size sexual dimorphism, by far, of any extant crocodilian, as males average about 4 to 5 times as massive as adult females and can sometimes measure twice her total length. The reason for the male skewered dimorphism in this species is not definitively known but might be correlated with sex-specific territoriality and the need for adult male saltwater crocodiles to monopolize large stretches of habitat. Due to the extreme sexual dimorphism of the species as contrasted with the more modest size dimorphism of other species, the average length of the species is only slightly more than some other extant crocodilians at .
Smallest organisms
The smallest crocodilian is the Cuvier's dwarf caiman ("Paleosuchus palpebrosus") from northern and central South America. It reaches up to in length.
Nile crocodile
In the past it has been claimed that the largest size that Nile crocodiles can attain is approximately and this can indeed be claimed as the top size normally expected in the species. A relatively modest top length is additionally supported by mummified crocodiles from ancient Egypt which rarely even approach such a size. However most crocodile biologists in recent decades accept that Nile crocodiles can exceptionally exceed when not overhunted. The maximum size that the species can attain is a matter of some controversy and reports of outsized Nile crocodiles are met with greater skepticism than those of saltwater crocodiles. As is the case with many outsized animals, the collection of voucher skeletal remains of very big specimens is rather scanty, in part because the understandable difficulty of even transporting such remains, but leaves the possibility of mistakes (such as measuring along the curves which can falsely boost the measured length) and outright exaggerations amidst "hunting stories". specimens and larger have been reported, but since gross overestimation of size is common, these reports are suspect. Also, most outsized crocodiles were killed by hunters and leather-collectors without field scientists present to verify and thus one may take these claims with healthy skepticism. In the past, explorers have claimed to have seen massive crocodiles in Africa and Madagascar they estimated from , claims sometimes supported by native hunters and fisherman, however no measurements occurred and these are certain to be vast exaggerations. Currently, via unequivocal, modern scientific verification, the saltwater crocodile is the only crocodilian verified to exceed .
Longosuchus
Longosuchus (meaning "Long's crocodile") is an extinct genus of aetosaur from the Late Triassic of North America and Morocco. It measured about 3 metres in length.
Metriorhynchus
Averaging in length, "Metriorhynchus" was of a similar size to modern crocodiles. However, it had a streamlined body and a finned tail, making it a more efficient swimmer than modern crocodilian species.
Perentie
The lizard can grow up to long, although the average length is around and weigh up to — maximum weight can be over . Its rival for the title of the third-largest lizard is the crocodile monitor, which although often longer, exceeding 2.4 m in length, is lighter and less bulky than the perentie. However, perenties are relatively lean lizards and are less bulky than either the Komodo dragon or the Asian water monitor.
Varanus salvadorii
Varanus salvadorii is a species of monitor lizard endemic to New Guinea. Its common names include crocodile monitor, Papua(n) monitor, Salvadori's monitor and artellia. It is the largest monitor lizard known from New Guinea, and is one of the longest lizards in the world, verified at up to . The tail of the species is exceptionally long, so that some specimens have been claimed to exceed the length of the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon; however, "Varanus salvadorii" is far less massive.
Cassius (crocodile)
Cassius is a male saltwater crocodile ("Crocodylus porosus") recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest crocodile in captivity in 2011. The animal measures in length, weighs approximately and is estimated to be more than 110 years old. Kept at the Marineland Crocodile Park, a zoo on Green Island, Queensland, Australia, Cassius was officially recognized by Guinness in 2011, but lost the title in 2012 to Lolong, a saltwater crocodile caught in the southern Philippines. Cassius again holds the record since Lolong's death in 2013.
Deinosuchus
Deinosuchus () is an extinct genus related to the alligator that lived 80 to 66 million years ago (Ma), during the late Cretaceous period. The name translates as "terrible crocodile" and is derived from the Greek "deinos" (δεινός), "terrible", and "soukhos" (σοῦχος), "crocodile". The first remains were discovered in North Carolina (United States) in the 1850s; the genus was named and described in 1909. Additional fragments were discovered in the 1940s and were later incorporated into an influential, though inaccurate, skull reconstruction at the American Museum of Natural History. Knowledge of "Deinosuchus" remains incomplete, but better cranial material found in recent years has expanded scientific understanding of this massive predator.
Gryposuchus
A species described in 2008, "G. croizati", found from the upper Miocene Urumaco Formation in northwestern Venezuela, can be distinguished from other species of "Gryposuchus" on the basis of a reduced number of maxillary teeth, a slender parietal interfenestral bar, and widely separated and reduced palatine fenestrae, and other characters. Based on measurements of the orbital cranial skeleton, the length of the animal has been estimated at around in length, with a total mass of about . Measuring the entire length of the skull from the end of the rostrum to the supraoccipital would result in a much larger size estimate, up to three times as great. However, because there is considerable variation seen in rostral proportions among crocodilians, the latter measurements are probably not an accurate way of estimating body mass and length. Despite this, the species is still one of the largest crocodilians known to have existed, and it may indeed have been the largest gavialoid to have ever existed if a recent revision in the estimated size of the large tomistomine "Rhamphosuchus" is correct (the genus was once considered to be in length; the new estimate puts it at approximately ).
Dinocroc
A North African dinosaur, related to the crocodile, is found which could grow up to fifty feet long. Dr. Campbell (Bruce Weitz) uses its DNA to create two hybrids of it with a modern-day crocodile at Paula Kennedy's Genetic Research Co. (Gereco) lab. One creature kills Dr. Campbell's assistant and the other creature before escaping. This information is kept from Sheriff Harper (Napier) by Kennedy, stating the dead creature killed Campbell's assistant. His daughter, county dog catcher Diane Harper, helps her ex-welding artist, Tom Banning, and his 12-year-old brother Michael (Jake Thomas) find their three-legged dog, Lucky, who was lost a few days earlier.
Brochuchus
Brochuchus is an extinct genus of crocodile known from the Miocene Hiwegi Formation of Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria, Kenya. It contains a single species, Brochuchus pigotti. "Brochuchus" belongs to the subfamily Crocodylinae, which includes all living crocodiles. The closest living relative of "Brochuchus" is "Osteolaemus", the dwarf crocodile. Compared to "Osteolaemus", which has a small body and blunt snout, "Brochuchus" has a more generalized crocodylid anatomy. "Brochuchus" is characterized by a flat and relatively narrow skull, and although it is larger than "Osteolaemus" it is smaller than most other crocodylids. It has two prominent bumps on the surface of its snout.
West African crocodile
Compared to the Nile crocodile, the West African crocodile is smaller: Adults are typically long, and maximum is perhaps . It is less aggressive than the Nile crocodile, but several attacks on humans have been recorded, including fatal. Mauritanian traditional peoples who live in close proximity to West African crocodiles revere them and protect them from harm. This is due to their belief that, just as water is essential to crocodiles, so crocodiles are essential to the water, which would permanently disappear if they were not there to inhabit it. Here the crocodiles live in apparent peace with the humans, and are not known to attack swimmers.
Euthecodon
"Euthecodon" was large for a crocodilian. One specimen, LT 26306, found from the Turkana Basin, was estimated by skull length to have been around 10 m long. It had a narrow rostrum that was unusually elongate with deeply scalloped dorsal margins. The skull table, however, was proportionally small and is almost square in shape. The jaws were lined with isodont, or slender, similarly sized and shaped, teeth. Unlike nearly all other crocodilians, "Euthecodon" possessed only four premaxillary teeth. Because they are sharp and bicarinate, they are believed to have been an adaptation for a piscivorous feeding habit, or a diet that included fish.
Crocodilia
Crocodilia (or Crocodylia) is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic archosaurian reptiles, known as crocodilians. They first appeared 95 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period (Cenomanian stage) and are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the Archosauria. Members of the order's total group, the clade Pseudosuchia, appeared about 250 million years ago in the Early Triassic period, and diversified during the Mesozoic era. The order Crocodilia includes the true crocodiles (family Crocodylidae), the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae), and the gharial and false gharial (family Gavialidae). Although the term 'crocodiles' is sometimes used to refer to all of these, crocodilians is a less ambiguous vernacular term for members of this group.
Cephalopod size
For total length, Paxton (2016a:83) considered three records as candidates for the "longest measured": the specimen of Berzin (1972:199), the specimen described by Kirk (1888) as "Architeuthis longimanus"—a strangely proportioned animal that has been much commented on—and the "Thimble Tickle specimen" reported by Verrill (1880a:191), which is often cited as the largest giant squid ever recorded. Of the last one, Paxton wrote: "Sometimes mistakenly cited as 17.37 m (57 ft) but the source is clear that it is 55 ft long." The first two records, particularly that of Berzin, are more questionable, as Paxton explained:
Gharial
The gharial is one of the longest of all living crocodilians, with a body length of . Male gharials reach a body length of up to and have a distinctive boss at the end of the snout, which resembles an earthenware pot known in Hindi as "ghara". The gharial's common name is derived from this similarity. With 110 sharp, interdigitated teeth in its long, thin snout, it is well adapted to catching fish, its main diet.
Cephalopod size
Squids are the largest living cephalopods in terms of each of mantle length, total length, and mass, with the largest species by at least two of these measures being the colossal squid, "Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni". Reaching an estimated in mantle length and in total length, and weighing as much as , this species is also the largest of all extant invertebrates (Rosa & Seibel, 2010; McClain "et al.", 2015; Rosa "et al.", 2017). The only other squid that approaches these dimensions is the giant squid of the genus "Architeuthis", with females up to , in mantle length, and possibly as much as in total length, making it likely the longest of all cephalopods (McClain "et al.", 2015). The two largest octopus species—"Enteroctopus dofleini" and "Haliphron atlanticus"—can both exceed , and the former has a maximum total length of more than . Cirrate (finned) octopods can also reach a large size, with the largest captured specimen likely being a "Cirrothauma magna" of total length and mantle length (Collins "et al.", 2001; Collins & Villanueva, 2006:294), though observations from submersibles suggest that members of this group can exceed in total length (Voss, 1988; Vecchione "et al.", 2008). Members of the other cephalopod groups are substantially smaller, although the largest cuttlefish can exceed in weight and in mantle length. Cephalopods of comparable size to the largest present day squid are known from fossil remains, including enormous examples of ammonoids, belemnoids, nautiloids, orthoceratoids, teuthids, and vampyromorphids (see Teichert & Kummel, 1960; Stevens, 1988; Eyden, 2003b; Larson, 2010; Iba "et al.", 2015).
List of largest reptiles
The largest living reptile, a representative of the order Crocodilia, is the saltwater crocodile ("Crocodylus porosus") of Southern Asia and Australia, with adult males being typically long. The largest confirmed saltwater crocodile on record was long, and weighed about . Unconfirmed reports of much larger crocodiles exist, but examinations of incomplete remains have never suggested a length greater than . A living specimen estimated at and has been accepted by the Guinness Book of World Records, but due to the difficulty of trapping and measuring a very large living crocodile, the accuracy of these dimensions has yet to be verified. A specimen caught alive in the Philippines in 2011 (now dead) was found to have measured in length.
Aldabra giant tortoise
Large tortoises are among the longest-lived animals. Some individual Aldabra giant tortoises are thought to be over 200 years of age, but this is difficult to verify because they tend to outlive their human observers. Adwaita was reputedly one of four brought by British seamen from the Seychelles Islands as gifts to Robert Clive of the British East India Company in the 18th century, and came to Calcutta Zoo in 1875. At his death in March 2006 at the Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) Zoo in India, Adwaita is reputed to have reached the longest ever measured lifespan of 255 years (birth year 1750). Today, Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise ("A. g. hololissa"), is thought to be the oldest living giant tortoise at the age of years and Esmeralda is second at the age of years, since the death of Harriet at 176, a Galapagos giant tortoise. Esmeralda is an Aldabra giant tortoise.
Eurypterus
The largest arthropods to have ever existed were eurypterids. The largest known species ("Jaekelopterus rhenaniae") reached up to in length, about the size of a crocodile. Species of "Eurypterus", however, were much smaller.
Yaamba
In July 1872, a Rockhampton architect John William Wilson found a large salt water crocodile known as Big Ben dying in Alligator Creek (it had been shot). Big Ben had originally inhabited the lower reaches of the Fitzroy River but had been frightened by the shipping in the river and had retreated to Alligator Creek. In October that year, Wilson displayed Big Ben and some other crocodiles in Rockhampton's Theatre Royal. Big Ben was 22 feet 3½ inches (6.79 m) long and an analysis of his stomach revealed human bones; local Aboriginal people had long believed Big Ben had eaten people and held a corroborree to celebrate his death.
Black caiman
The black caiman is one of the largest extant reptiles. It is the largest predator in the Amazon basin and possibly the largest member of the family Alligatoridae. It is also significantly larger than other caiman species. Most adult black caimans are in length, with a few old males growing larger than . Sub-adult male specimens of around will weigh roughly , around the same size as a mature female, but will quickly increase in bulk and weight. The average size of adult females at their nests was found to be . Mid-sized mature males of weigh approximately , while larger specimens easily exceed , being relatively bulky crocodilians. A relatively small adult male of a total length of weighed while an adult male considered fairly large at a length of weighed approximately . Another sampling of subadult males found them to range in length from , averaging , and that they weighed from , averaging . The black caiman broadly overlaps in size with the American alligator ("Alligator mississippiensis"), although it is on average larger at maturity. In some areas (such as the Araguaia River) this species is consistently reported at in length, much larger than the alligator (which rarely even reaches 4 meters), although specimens this size are uncommon. Several widely reported but unconfirmed (and probably largely anecdotal) sources report that the black caiman can grow to over in length and weigh up to . While it is unclear what the source for this maximum size, many scientific papers accept that this species can attain extreme sizes as such. In South America, two other crocodilians reportedly reach similar sizes: the American crocodile ("Crocodylus acutus") and the Orinoco crocodile ("C. intermedius").
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile is the most common crocodilian in Africa today, and may be seen throughout much of the continent. Among crocodilians today, only the saltwater crocodile occurs over a broader geographic area, although other species, especially the spectacled caiman ("Caiman crocodilus") (due to its small size and extreme adaptability in habitat and flexibility in diet), seem to actually be more abundant. This species’ historic range, however, was even wider. They were found as far north as the Mediterranean coast in the Nile Delta and across the Red Sea in Israel and Syria. The Nile crocodile has historically been recorded in areas where they are now regionally extinct. For example, Herodotus recorded the species inhabiting Lake Moeris in Egypt. Additionally, the Nile crocodile is known from fossil remains to have once inhabited Lake Edward on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. They are thought to have become extinct in the Seychelles in the early 19th century (1810–1820). Today, Nile crocodiles are widely found in, among others, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Angola, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, South Sudan, Botswana, and Cameroon. The Nile crocodile's current range of distribution extends from the regional tributaries of the Nile in Sudan and Lake Nasser in Egypt to the Cunene of Angola, the Okavango Delta of Botswana, and the Olifants River in South Africa.
Pachycheilosuchus
It was not a large crocodylomorph; for example, of the collected thigh bones, the longest measured only 91.2 millimeters long (3.59 in). Its body length is estimated as 63.5 centimeters (2.08 ft) to 80 centimeters (2.6 ft), using two methods. Although the remains are small, it appears that at least some of the individuals were mature, with fusion of parts of individual vertebrae. Additionally, a 49 millimeter-long (1.9 in) crocodyloid egg was recovered with the skeletal fossils, and is of reasonable size to have come from an individual with a length of 63.5 centimeters, suggesting that some of the individuals were sexually mature.
Spectacled caiman
The spectacled caiman is a small to medium-sized crocodilian. Males of the species are generally , while females are smaller, usually around . The body mass of most adults is between . The maximum reported size for the species is , with a body mass of but they can grow up to 3 m in length potentially. The largest female was reportedly long and weighed . Caimans from the Venezuelan "llanos" are reportedly larger-bodied than specimens from Mexico. The species' common name comes from a bony ridge between the eyes, which gives the appearance of a pair of spectacles. Overall a typical crocodilian gray-green coloration, this species has been known to change color. During colder weather, the black pigment, found within their skin cells, will expand, making them appear darker.
Crocodile Zoo, Falster
The Crocodile Zoo () is a zoo on the Danish island of Falster. It is located just to the southwest of Gundslevmagle, northeast of Eskilstrup, towards the northern centre of the island. Established in 2000, the zoo has the world's largest collection of crocodilians (crocodiles and relatives) with all 23 existing species (same as St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park). This includes the only Orinoco crocodiles outside the Americas, which are part of a breeding program involving US zoos and the Venezuelan government. Their male Nile crocodile "Sobek", at more than long and in weight, is the largest crocodilian in Europe, and "Medusa", a reticulated python, is among the largest snakes in Europe.
Dwarf crocodile
Dwarf crocodiles attain a medium adult length of , though the maximum recorded length for this species is . Adult specimens typically weigh between , with the largest females weighing up to and the largest males weighing . This makes it the smallest living crocodile species, although the Cuvier's dwarf caiman ("Paleosuchus palpebrosus"), a member of the family Alligatoridae, is smaller at up to about . If the Congo dwarf crocodile ("O. osborni") is recognized as a valid species, it would be both the smallest crocodile and the smallest crocodilian since it does not surpass . Adults are all dark above and on their sides, while the underside is yellowish with black patches. Individuals living in caves may have orange patches, apparently due to acidic bat guano that erodes the skin of the crocodile. Juveniles have a lighter brown banding on body and tails and yellow patterns on the head.
Nile crocodile
Evidence exists of Nile crocodiles from cooler climates, like the southern tip of Africa, being smaller, and may reach maximum lengths of only . A smaller population from Mali, the Sahara Desert, and elsewhere in West Africa reaches only in length, but it is now largely recognized as a separate species, the West African crocodile.
Leopard
The average typical life span of a leopard is between 12 and 17 years. The oldest recorded spotted leopard was a female named Roxanne living in captivity at McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary in The Acreage, Palm Beach County, Florida. She died August 8, 2014 at the age of 24 years, 2 months and 13 days. This has been verified by the Guinness World Records. Previously, the oldest recorded leopard was a female named Bertie living in captivity in Warsaw Zoo. She died in December 2010 at the age of 24. The oldest recorded male leopard was Cezar, who reached the age of 23. He also lived at Warsaw Zoo and was Bertie's lifelong companion. Generation length of the leopard is 9.3 years.
Lolong
In November 2011, Australian crocodile expert Dr. Adam Britton of National Geographic sedated and measured Lolong in his enclosure and confirmed him as the world's largest crocodile ever caught and placed in captivity.
List of giant squid specimens and sightings
Based on a 40-year data set of more than 50 giant squid ("Architeuthis dux") specimens, Roper & Shea (2013:114) suggest an average total length at maturity of and a "rarely encountered maximum length" of . Of the nearly 100 specimens examined by Clyde Roper, the largest was "46 feet (14 m) long" (Cerullo & Roper, 2012:22). O'Shea & Bolstad (2008) give a maximum total length of for females based on the examination of more than 130 specimens, measured "post mortem" and relaxed, as well as beaks recovered from sperm whales (which do not exceed the size of those found in the largest complete specimens). Steve O'Shea estimated the maximum total length for males at (O'Shea, 2003b). Charles G. M. Paxton performed a statistical analysis using literature records of giant squid specimens and concluded that "squid with a conservative TL of would seem likely based on current data" (Paxton, 2016a, b), but the study has been heavily criticised by experts in the field (Greshko, 2016).
Pristichampsidae
Pristichampsids were land-living (terrestrial) crocodilians with longer legs than living species of crocodilians. They grew to a maximum size of in length. Nearly complete skeletons of "Pristichampsus" indicate that pristichampsids were more heavily armored than living crocodilians, with bony plates called osteoderms tightly interlocking along the back, completely encasing the tail, and extending down the legs. The claws are blunt and have been described as hoof-like in shape, suggesting that pristichampsids may have been unguligrade, walking on the tips of their toes like mammalian ungulates. The areas on the leg bones where muscles attach are in different positions in pristichampsids than they are in living crocodilians, possibly as an adaptation to walking on land. One study suggested that these anatomical modifications may have enabled pristichampsids to walk on their hind limbs for brief periods of time, making them possible facultative bipeds.
Cyclura
A blue iguana captured on Grand Cayman in 1950 by naturalist Ira Thompson was imported to the United States in 1985 by Ramon Noegel and sold to reptile importer and breeder, Tom Crutchfield. Crutchfield loaned this iguana to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas in 1997. The lizard was named Godzilla by the zoo staff and was kept until his death in 2004. Thompson estimated the iguana to be 15 years of age at the time of its capture. This lizard may have been the word's longest-living recorded lizard at 69 years of age, having spent 54 years in captivity.
Mugger crocodile
Adult female muggers are on average, and male muggers . They rarely grow up to . The largest known muggers measured . The average size of adult mugger crocodiles in Manghopir Lake was estimated at , with a weight of around . One male mugger caught in Pakistan of about weighed .
The largest zoological specimen in the British Museum of Natural History measures .
Fauna of Belize
In Belize, there are 2 species of crocodilians that roam around the waters, the American Crocodile and Morelet's Crocodile. Although both of these species are not particularly aggressive, they are found as a danger to humans. The American Crocodile can grow up to 6.4 m (21 ft), on average being about 4 m (13 ft). They are usually found in the swamps and lowlands of Belize. Morelet's Crocodile, which is smaller than the American can grown up to 4 m (13 ft) but the average size is 2.5 m (8 ft). These crocodiles are mostly seen along the coast of Northern and Central Belize in freshwater.
Crocodile
In captivity, some individuals are claimed to have lived for over a century. A male crocodile lived to an estimated age of 110–115 years in a Russian zoo in Yekaterinburg. Named Kolya, he joined the zoo around 1913 to 1915, fully grown, after touring in an animal show, and lived until 1995. A male freshwater crocodile lived to an estimated age of 120–140 years at the Australia Zoo. Known affectionately as “Mr. Freshie”, he was rescued around 1970 by Bob Irwin and Steve Irwin, after being shot twice by hunters and losing an eye as a result, and lived until 2010. Crocworld Conservation Centre, in Scottburgh, South Africa, claims to have a male Nile crocodile that was born in 1900. Named Henry, the crocodile is said to have lived in Botswana along the Okavango River, according to centre director Martin Rodrigues.
Diplodocus
"Diplodocus hallorum", known from partial remains, was even larger, and is estimated to have been the size of four elephants. When first described in 1991, discoverer David Gillette calculated it may have been up to 52 m (171 ft) long, making it the longest known dinosaur (excluding those known from exceedingly poor remains, such as "Amphicoelias"). Some weight estimates of this time ranged as high as . The estimated length was later revised downward to and later on to based on findings that show that Gillette had originally misplaced vertebrae 12–19 as vertebrae 20–27. The nearly complete "Diplodocus carnegii" skeleton at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on which size estimates of "D. hallorum" are mainly based, also was found to have had its 13th tail vertebra come from another dinosaur, throwing off size estimates for "D. hallorum" even further. While dinosaurs such as "Supersaurus" were probably longer, fossil remains of these animals are only fragmentary.
Tortoise
Tortoises generally have one of the longest lifespans of any animal, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years.
Because of this, they symbolize longevity in some cultures, such as China. The oldest tortoise ever recorded, and one of the oldest individual animals ever recorded, was Tu'i Malila, which was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook shortly after its birth in 1777. Tu'i Malila remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965, at the age of 188. The record for the longest-lived vertebrate is exceeded only by one other, a koi named Hanako whose death on July 17, 1977, ended a 226-year lifespan.
Sphenosuchus
Out of the early Crocodylmorphs, "Sphenosuchus" was one of the largest. The skull was 192 mm in the length and the body an estimated total length of 1.4m. This genus is considered to have been carnivorous and cursorial. The found specimen consists of a nearly perfect but slightly crushed skull, a shoulder girdle, and a few limb bones so most of the known features come from the skull. The primary head of the quadrate meets the prootic and squamosal. The quadrate and pterygoid are not fused to the braincase and the basipterygoid articulation is free.The dentary is not gracile and has anterior swelling. The parietals are fused together. The post temporal fenestrae are known for the "Sphenosuchus" with the sizes being very variable among early Archosaurs but rather small in size for "Sphenosuchus" Has a scapula blade in a triangular shape. No clavicles present. Metatarsal I is reduced, II and IV are symmetrical and III is the longest. The nasals are long and narrow and pass from near the plane passing through the front of the orbits to the extreme anterior points of the snout. The frontals are large relatively and help to form a small part of the upper orbital margin and a large portion of the upper temporal fossa. The jugal is a large bone forming the whole of the lower orbital and almost all of the lower temporal bar. The parietal is a good sized element forming nearly the entire intertemporal region along with the majority of the occiput. There is no parietal foramen present. The dentary is slender and moderate in length, it appears to have roughly fourteen teeth with a third of them being larger than the others. Overall the skull is similar to those of crocodiles however it is slightly deeper.
Crocodyloidea
The Crocodyloidea superfamily of crocodilians evolved in the Late Cretaceous period. Cladistically, it is defined as "Crocodylus niloticus" (the Nile crocodile) and all crocodylians more closely related to "C. niloticus" than to either "Alligator mississippiensis" (the American alligator) or "Gavialis gangeticus" (the gharial).
Nile crocodile
Like all crocodiles, they are sexually dimorphic, with the males up to 30% larger than the females, though the difference is considerably less compared to some species, like the saltwater crocodile. Male Nile crocodiles are about longer on average at sexual maturity and grow more so than females after becoming sexually mature, especially expanding in bulk after exceeding in length. Adult male Nile crocodiles usually range in length from long; at these lengths, an average sized male may weigh from . In Limpopo, South Africa, males reportedly average . Very old, mature ones can grow to or more in length (all specimens over from 1900 onward are cataloged later). Mature female Nile crocodiles typically measure , at which lengths the average female specimen would weigh .
Crocodilia
Ancient historians have described crocodilians from the earliest historical records, though often their descriptions contain as much legend as fact. The Ancient Greek historian Herodotus (c. 440 BC) described the crocodile in detail, though much of his description is fanciful; he claimed that it would lie with its mouth open to permit a "trochilus" bird (possibly an Egyptian plover) to enter and remove any leeches it found. The crocodile was one of the beasts described in the late-13th century Rochester Bestiary, based on classical sources, including Pliny's "Historia naturalis" (c. 79 AD) and Isidore of Seville's "Etymologies". Isidore asserts that the crocodile is named for its saffron colour (Latin croceus, 'saffron'), and that it is often twenty cubits () long. He further claimed that the crocodile may be killed by fish with serrated crests sawing into its soft underbelly, and that the male and female take turns guarding the eggs.
Asperoteuthis acanthoderma
The largest recorded specimen measured in mantle length (ML), although its original total length is unknown as it was missing the very delicate feeding tentacles. A smaller specimen, ML, had tentacles 12 times the length of its mantle, giving a total length of almost . This makes "A. acanthoderma" one of the longest known cephalopods.
Coney Island Cyclone
In 1975, Michael Boodley set a record for most consecutive trips on the Cyclone, riding it 1,001 times over a period of 45 hours. On August 18–22, 1977, nineteen-year-old Richard Rodriguez broke this record, riding the Cyclone for 104 hours. He took short bathroom breaks in between rides, but ate hot dogs, M&Ms, and shakes during the ride itself. In 2007, Rodriguez broke his own record for the longest marathon on a roller coaster, with 405 hours 40 minutes at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the United Kingdom.
Crocodilia
The three primary branches of Crocodilia had diverged by the end of the Mesozoic. The earliest-known members of the group is "Portugalosuchus" from the Cenomanian (95 million years ago) and after are alligatoroids and gavialoids that lived in North America and Europe during the Campanian (around 83.6–72.1 million years ago). The first known crocodyloids appeared in the Cenomanian (around 72.1–66.0 million years ago), that lineage must have been present during the Campanian, and the earliest alligatoroids and gavialoids include highly derived forms, which indicates that the time of the actual divergence between the three lineages must have been a pre-Campanian event.
Diplodocus
Among the best-known sauropods, "Diplodocus" were very large, long-necked, quadrupedal animals, with long, whip-like tails. Their forelimbs were slightly shorter than their hind limbs, resulting in a largely horizontal posture. The skeletal structure of these long-necked, long-tailed animals supported by four sturdy legs have been compared with suspension bridges. In fact, "Diplodocus carnegii" is currently one of the longest dinosaurs known from a complete skeleton, with a total length of . Modern mass estimates for "Diplodocus carnegii" have tended to be in the range.
Crocodilia in India
The mugger crocodile is India's most common species. They are not as long as saltwater crocodiles. Their average size is about 13–14 feet. Until the British colonised India, crocodiles were never critically endangered. Afterwards, an Indian biologist (of American origin) named Romulus Whitaker established the Madras Crocodile Bank for conservation and breeding of crocodiles. Now, there are thousands of crocodiles in the Madras bank alone. Although, in rest of India, one can still see crocodiles in wild - in rivers and national parks. Even today, there is a huge lack of information about these species because of taboos and folklore associated with crocodiles.
Morelet's crocodile
Morelet's crocodile "(Crocodylus moreletii)", also known as the Mexican crocodile, is a modest-sized crocodilian found only in fresh waters of the Atlantic regions of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. It usually grows to about in length. It is a Least Concern species.
Crocodylus anthropophagus
Crocodylus anthropophagus is an extinct species of crocodile from Plio-Pleistocene from Tanzania. It lived 1.84 million years ago. It was a large-sized apex predator reaching a length of .
Cephalopod size
For mantle length, Paxton (2016a:83) considered the reported by Dell (1952:98) as the "longest measured", though "more reliably" the ML specimen from Lyall Bay, New Zealand, documented by Kirk (1880:312). Paxton added: "A specimen from Mauritius is often mistakenly cited but consultation of the primary paper (Staub, 1993) reveals an ill-defined length which is clearly not ML." The greatest measured ML of a giant squid recovered from a sperm whale is either the reported by Keil (1963:320) (though Paxton writes: "the account is confused and the 2.4 m figure probably refers to the head and ML combined") or the of a specimen that had been swallowed whole off the Azores, detailed by Clarke (1955:589) and Clarke (1956:257). The "longest visually estimated" ML, according to Paxton, is the of a specimen apparently observed in the North Atlantic off Portugal, attributed to a personal communication with T. Lipington. A more modest ML is also given, based on a sighting in the Indian Ocean sourced to the TV documentary of Lynch (2013).
Crocodile shark
The crocodile shark ("Pseudocarcharias kamoharai") is a species of mackerel shark and the only extant member of the family Pseudocarchariidae. A specialized inhabitant of the mesopelagic zone, the crocodile shark can be found worldwide in tropical waters from the surface to a depth of . It performs a diel vertical migration, staying below a depth of during the day and ascending into shallower water at night to feed. Typically measuring only in length, the crocodile shark is the smallest living mackerel shark. It can be distinguished by its elongated cigar-shaped body, extremely large eyes, and relatively small fins.
Narynsuchus
Narynsuchus is an extinct genus of giant Goniopholidid Crocodylian. Because it has not yet been formally described, it is currently considered a "nomen nudum". The name was first used in 1990 for fossil material found from a formation called the Balabansai Svita, which forms a lens in site FTA-30 of the Sarykamyshsai 1 locality in the Fergana Valley of Kyrgyzstan. The formation dates back to the Callovian stage of the Middle Jurassic. The type species of "Narynsuchus" is "N. ferganensis".Being semi-aquatic it is very similar to modern crocodiles. It ranged from 7–8 metres in length, and would have had a very similar lifestyle to the American alligator or Nile crocodile.
Crocodile
Measuring crocodile age is unreliable, although several techniques are used to derive a reasonable guess. The most common method is to measure lamellar growth rings in bones and teeth—each ring corresponds to a change in growth rate which typically occurs once a year between dry and wet seasons. Bearing these inaccuracies in mind, it can be safely said that all crocodile species have an average lifespan of at least 30–40 years, and in the case of larger species an average of 60–70 years. The oldest crocodiles appear to be the largest species. "C. porosus" is estimated to live around 70 years on average, with limited evidence of some individuals exceeding 100 years.
West African crocodile
The species was named by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1807, who discovered differences between the skulls of a mummified crocodile and those of Nile crocodile ("C. niloticus"). This new species was, however, for a long time afterwards regarded as a synonym of the Nile crocodile. In 2003, a study indicated that "C. suchus" was a valid species, and this was confirmed by several other studies in 2011–2015. Despite the long history of confusion, genetic testing has revealed that the two are not particularly close. The closest relatives of the Nile crocodile are the "Crocodylus" species from the Americas, while the West African crocodile is basal to the clade of Nile and American crocodiles.
Etang Saumâtre
American crocodiles generally achieve a length of , though long or long specimens have been reported in the Étang Saumâtre. The lake is known for the high concentration of crocodiles at 9.6/km in certain zones, with average density of 6.3/km for all crocodile size classes. The density varies in its habitat zones, over a distance of and length from the shore line. In the rocky shores, the density was reported to be 0.2/km. However, from from the shore line called the conocarpus fringe, the density was recorded as 14.5/km. They grow in size up to the age of 2 years when their size is in the range of . They are found in shallow water zones also and feed on Cichlids ("Cichlasoma hatiensis"). They remain mostly at the bottom of the lake and during bird nesting season they are found around a heron rookery to catch falling eggs of birds. Their foraging techniques vary from an active to a passive mode and they forage on non-aquatic invertebrates and also odonate larvae. Birds and fish (cichilide) are the common items of their diet. Adults also eat domestic animals such as dogs and goats, and turtles. They nest in a stretch within a range of from the shoreline, of the uninhabited eastern lake shore, near charcoal-making sites and in coralliferous limestone outcrops.
Purussaurus
"Purussaurus" is one of the largest known crocodyliformes ever to have existed. Three other extinct crocodyliformes, "Sarcosuchus", "Deinosuchus", and "Rhamphosuchus" had similar body sizes. "Sarcosuchus" and "Deinosuchus" had similar proportions, but both were geologically much older, dating from the Early and Late Cretaceous, respectively. One study also indicates that "Purussaurus" may have been heavier than either "Sarcosuchus" or "Deinosuchus," as it had a much broader, shorter snout and this would require a thicker, stronger neck to support the larger head. "Rhamphosuchus" lived around the same time as "Purussaurus", but was slightly smaller, had a more gharial-like snout and lived in India. During the summer of 2005, a Franco-Peruvian expedition (the Fitzcarrald expedition) found new fossils of "Purussaurus" in the Peruvian Amazon (600 km from Lima).
Megalochelys atlas
"Megalochelys atlas" is the largest known member of Testudinidae, with a shell length of about , an estimated total length of , and an approximate total height of . Popular weight estimates for this taxon have varied greatly with the highest estimates reaching up to in some instances. However, weights based on volumetric displacement of the skeleton, or inferences based on two-dimensional skeletal drawings, indicate that "M. atlas" was probably closer to in mass. "M. atlas" is thus the largest known tortoise. The only larger turtles were the marine "Archelon" and "Protostega" from the Cretaceous period, and the aquatic, freshwater "Stupendemys" of the South American late Miocene.
Sarcosuchus
Sarcosuchus (; meaning "flesh crocodile") is an extinct genus of crocodyliform and distant relative of living crocodylians that lived 112 million years ago. It dates from the early Cretaceous Period of what is now Africa and South America and is one of the largest crocodile-like reptiles that ever lived. It was almost twice as long as the modern saltwater crocodile and weighed up to .
Dinosaur
Scientists will probably never be certain of the largest and smallest dinosaurs to have ever existed. This is because only a tiny percentage of animals ever fossilize, and most of these remain buried in the earth. Few of the specimens that are recovered are complete skeletons, and impressions of skin and other soft tissues are rare. Rebuilding a complete skeleton by comparing the size and morphology of bones to those of similar, better-known species is an inexact art, and reconstructing the muscles and other organs of the living animal is, at best, a process of educated guesswork.
The tallest and heaviest dinosaur known from good skeletons is "Giraffatitan brancai" (previously classified as a species of "Brachiosaurus"). Its remains were discovered in Tanzania between 1907 and 1912. Bones from several similar-sized individuals were incorporated into the skeleton now mounted and on display at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin; this mount is tall and long, and would have belonged to an animal that weighed between and  kilograms ( and  lb). The longest complete dinosaur is the long "Diplodocus", which was discovered in Wyoming in the United States and displayed in Pittsburgh's Carnegie Natural History Museum in 1907. The longest dinosaur known from good fossil material is the "Patagotitan": the skeleton mount in the American Museum of Natural History is long. The Carmen Funes Museum has an "Argentinosaurus" reconstructed skeleton mount long.
Slender giant moray
The slender giant moray or Gangetic moray, "Strophidon sathete", is the longest member of the family of moray eels. The longest recorded specimen was caught in 1927 on the Maroochy River in Queensland; it measured 3.94 metres. This species is characterized by an elongated body, as well as brownish-grey dorsal coloration which pales towards the venter.