There are numerous cold-blooded animals out there – from lizards to frogs. But are crocodiles cold-blooded? Let us find out.
Crocodiles are cold-blooded, meaning they cannot generate the heat their body needs for survival. Instead, they rely on their external environment to derive the required heat. As such, their body’s temperature fluctuates depending on their environment’s temperature. Conversely, they can cool down their bodies by spending more time in water.
There are a lot of questions that people ask with regards to this topic. Without further delay, let us take you through some key facts and help you understand what being a cold-blooded animal actually means.
What are cold-blooded creatures?
Animals are broadly classified into two types: warm-blooded and cold-blooded. Let us learn more about this classification.
Cold-blooded animals cannot generate heat for themselves and therefore are unable to regulate their body temperatures. They rely on external factors and environmental temperatures to regulate their body’s temperature. All reptiles (including lizards, alligators, turtles, etc.), insects, sharks, fishes, and amphibians such as toads and frogs are cold-blooded animals.
On the other hand, warm-blooded animals can regulate their body temperature and maintain sufficient internal heat necessary for survival. Mammals like dogs, cats, lions, and some birds like vultures are mostly warm-blooded animals with the unique ability to control and maintain their body temperature.
Image Credits: “Madagascar, crocodiles” by luc legay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Cold-blooded animals vs. warm-blooded animals
There are a lot of differences between cold and warm-blooded animals. Together, let us go through some key differences.
Cold-blooded animals cannot adjust their body to extreme weather fluctuations, whereas warm-blooded animals adapt to changing temperatures. Moreover, the rate of metabolism for cold-blooded creatures changes with a change in their environment, whereas warm-blooded animals can maintain a consistent metabolism rate. In addition to this, warm-blooded animals are more resistant to health issues.
We must add that most warm-blooded animals have a body temperature of 35-40 degrees Celsius, whereas the body temperatures of cold-blooded animals vary with their environment. Also, cold-blooded animals obtain energy from their surroundings, unlike warm-blooded animals who obtain it from food.
Why crocodile is a cold-blooded creature?
Image Credits: “Lying crocodile” by Tambako the Jaguar is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.
We have already established that crocodiles are cold-blooded creatures but are you curious to know the science behind this? Allow us to tell you all about it.
Unlike mammals and birds, crocodiles can unfortunately not maintain their body temperatures or adjust them according to their environmental conditions. This makes them cold-blooded animals and other reptiles like lizards and alligators, fishes, and amphibians. Surprisingly, scientists who have analyzed fossils of prehistoric crocodiles argue that they have not always been cold-blooded.
Crocodiles are often referred to as ectotherms because their heat is derived from their surroundings. Most cold-blooded animals (like lizards, alligators, etc.) prefer occupying warm spaces as it helps them remain sufficiently warm. As such, you will frequently spot crocodiles in warm regions of Australia (Queensland), America (South Florida), and South Asia (India).
Do crocodiles need heat?
Are you wondering whether crocodiles need heat? This is a curious case, and together, we can delve further into this discussion.
Yes, crocodiles need heat since they cannot generate their own body heat. Ideally, crocodiles prefer a body temperature of around 30 to 33 degrees Celcius, and to acquire this temperature, they alternate between land and sea, basking in the sun and then cooling themselves in the water if they get too hot. Being semi-aquatic, they can switch between ocean and land to keep their bodies warm.
All cold-blooded animals need heat to survive, which is why most prefer occupying tropical regions with plenty of heat. Although they cannot regulate their body temperatures, they can cool themselves down by moving away from the heat to a cooler environment. Crocodiles already do this by swimming in the ocean.
How do crocodiles stay cool?
Image Credits: “P1180012-Croc cooling off” by Gail Frederick is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Needless to say, the regions that crocodiles occupy can get very hot, and they need to cool down. But how do they do that? Let us find out.
Crocodiles stay cool by opening their mouths and sweating through them. Unlike humans, crocodiles do not sweat through their skin but need to cool down, especially after spending too much time in the sun. As such, they alternate between land and sea, spending more time in the sea to cool themselves.
The process of relying on the environment to regulate body temperatures is called thermoregulation. As we have mentioned earlier, crocodiles need a body temperature of around 30-33 degrees Celsius to thrive. If you spot a crocodile basking in the sun, then they are trying to either raise their body temperatures or are resting for potential prey.
Would crocodiles be more dangerous if they were warm-blooded?
A common belief is that crocodiles would be far more dangerous if they were warm-blooded. But, is there any truth to this notion? Allow us to tell you all about it.
Yes, crocodiles would be much more aggressive if they were warm-blooded, and this has to do with the fact that warm-blooded animals do not rely on any external factor to generate body heat which gives them energy. Therefore, if crocodiles were warm-blooded, they would have much more energy and could participate in rigorous physical activity.
We must add here that crocodiles would be able to run over long distances to catch their prey if they were warm-blooded. Besides, they would be eating a lot more to sustain themselves.
Conclusion
Even though they are unable to regulate their body temperatures, crocodiles exercise considerable autonomy by moving to the land surface and basking in the sun when they need to warm themselves and then moving back to the water when they need to cool down.
It is true that being warm-blooded would have given numerous advantages, such as more energy and speed, but they are nonetheless quite efficient with innumerable survival tactics.