Important baseline features

IMPORTANT BASELINE FEATURES

Crocodiles(Muggers, Estuarine crocodiles and Gharials) have following important base line features:

  • Ectotherm or cold blooded animal.
  • Dorsum is keeled or ridged
  • Head is flattened with adaptation to float on surface of water
  • Eyelids are well developed
  • No bony ossicles are present in the sclera of the eye
  • External ear is not conspicuous
  • Tongue is not protrusible in nature
  • Teeth grows continuously through out life and in case of crocodiles, teeth are visible well when the mouth is kept in the closed position unlike alligators
  • Four chambered heart is present but a ‘Foramen of Panizza’ is present in between the ventricles.
  • Diaphragm is present and the large lung is divided into many chambers.
  • Penis is present and is protrusible when pressure is applied at this region.
  • Urinary bladder is absent
  • Oviparous in nature.
  • Shedding of skin occurs but in pieces unlike serpentines
  • Osteoderms are present
  • Renal portal system is an important component of venous system in any reptile.
Last modified: Saturday, 28 April 2012, 9:35 AM