Orinoco Crocodile: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Crocodiles and Big Reptiles · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. This giant is one of the biggest reptiles alive and the largest predator in all of the Americas.
2. Males win partners with their voices. They roar, and females, who often outnumber them two to one, seem to pick the deepest roars.
3. Local people complain that it empties the rivers of fish. Yet most of what it catches are big fish that are hunters themselves.
4. Orinoco mothers are devoted guards. Some have watched over groups of their young for more than three years.
5. It is found in a single river system, the Orinoco basin shared by Venezuela and Colombia, on grassy plains called the Llanos.

The quiz

1. What record does the Orinoco crocodile hold?

• Smallest crocodile in the world
• Largest predator in the Americas (correct)
• Fastest swimmer of all reptiles
• Only crocodile living in deserts

It is among the largest reptiles and the biggest predator in the Americas.

2. Which males do females seem to choose?

• The ones with the brightest colours
• The ones that bring the most fish
• The ones with the deepest roars (correct)
• The ones that build the best nests

Males roar to attract females, which appear to favour the deepest roars.

3. What does the Orinoco crocodile mostly catch?

• Large predatory fish (correct)
• Fruit and seeds
• Mostly insects
• River grass

Its prey is mostly large fish that hunt other animals.

4. How long have some Orinoco mothers guarded their young?

• One hour
• One week
• Twenty years
• More than three years (correct)

Females have defended groups of young for over three years.

5. Where does the Orinoco crocodile live in the wild?

• Only in the Orinoco basin of Venezuela and Colombia (correct)
• All over Florida
• In Mexico and Cuba
• In rivers across Africa

It is restricted to the Orinoco river basin in those two countries.

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