Crocodile
Featured in: Year 1: Animals, including humans
Crocodile
Reptile
A huge, aquatic reptile that is a fierce meat-eater.
💡 Fun Facts
- Crocodiles have the strongest bite of any animal in the world.
- They swallow stones to help grind up food in their stomachs and to act as ballast.
- They have been around since the time of the dinosaurs.
Name Story
Crocodylus niloticus
means “The pebble-worm of the Nile”
a traditional storyThe 'pebble-worm' breakdown is an old explanation handed down from the ancient Greeks, not a proven word-origin, so treat it as a lovely tale rather than a certainty.
What does its name mean?
- Crocodylus — lizard; popularly broken into 'pebbles' + 'worm'Greek krokodeilos (kroke 'pebbles' + drilos 'worm')
- niloticus — of the River NileLatin
The ancient Greeks are said to have called it the 'pebble-worm' because they saw it basking on sunny, pebbly riverbanks — and Africa's largest crocodile really does haul out to sunbathe just so.