Animals, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 21, 2015

Ancient Knife-Toothed Reptile Is Crocodile Cousin

The fossil of a prehistoric 9-foot-long (2.7 meters) carnivorous reptile that had sharp, serrated teeth is helping researchers fill out the early branches of the reptile family tree, according to a new study. It's unclear where the reptile, Nundasuchus songeaensis, falls on the evolutionary tree, said Sterling Nesbitt, an assistant...

Feb 24, 2015

Photos: Ancient Crocodile Relatives Roamed the Amazon

The fossilized remains of seven species of crocodile relatives were found along the banks of the Amazon River in Peru. These prehistoric reptiles lived in South America at a time when the Amazon River basin contained swamps, rivers and lakes, as well as a multitude of clams. But when tectonic...

Feb 24, 2015

Ancient Croc with 'Shovel Mouth' Likely Enjoyed Clam Dinners

A peg-toothed crocodile relative with a mouth like a shovel lived in the prehistoric swamps of Peru about 13 million years ago, a new study finds. The newly discovered reptile (Gnatusuchus pebasensis) is one of seven types of extinct crocodylians researchers found recently near the Amazon River in northeastern Peru....

Oct 23, 2015

Crocodiles Might Literally Sleep With One Eye Open

Have you heard the expression better sleep with one eye open? Crocodiles may take that phrase literally, according to a new study. To stay abreast of potential threats in their environment, crocs sometimes keep an eye open while snoozing, scientists found. Lots of animals close only one eye while sleeping,...

Jan 15, 2016

In Photos: Monster Crocodile Ancestor Uncovered

Scientists have discovered the remains of what was a 30-foot-long (9 meters) crocodile ancestor on the fringes of the Sahara, in the area that served as the planet Tatooine in Star Wars. Here's a look at the 130-million-year-old remains and excavation at the site. [Read the full story on the...

May 21, 2016

Later, Gator: 'Monster' Nile Crocodiles May Be Invading Florida

Florida's native alligators and crocodiles could be facing some new competition — from a bigger and meaner member of their own crocodilian family. Nile crocodiles — American crocodiles' larger, more aggressive cousins from the African continent — have been identified in the wild in southern Florida for the first time,...

May 25, 2016

Crocs: Ancient Predators in a Modern World (Photos)

Exhibition entrance (Image credit: Copyright AMNH/C. Chesek)Crocs: Ancient Predators in a Modern World is a new exhibition exploring the complex lives of crocodilians — the group including crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials — their evolutionary history, biology, behavior, and precarious relationships with human societies. [Read the full story on these...

May 26, 2016

Live Crocs Invade NYC in New Museum Exhibit

NEW YORK — The decades-old rumors of alligators inhabiting the depths of New York City's sewer system are no more than urban legends. But live alligators have, in fact, temporarily taken up residence here on Manhattan's Upper West Side, in a new museum exhibit. Beginning this Saturday (May 28) at...

Jun 15, 2016

Toddler Snatched by Alligator: How Dangerous Are Florida's Reptiles?

A Nebraska family staying at a Disney resort in Florida was struck by tragedy yesterday (June 14) when an alligator snatched the family's 2-year-old son and dragged him underwater, news sources reported. But despite the horrific incident, experts say it's rare for alligators to attack people. During yesterday's incident, the...

Jun 24, 2016

What's the World's Largest Crocodile?

Get ready for some nightmares. The world's largest crocodile is a monster of a reptile. Named Cassius, this nearly 18-foot-long (5.48 meters) Australian saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) was crowned the world's largest captive croc by Guinness World Records on Jan. 1, 2011. The animal lives at Marineland Melanesia on Green...

Sep 2, 2016

Crocodile Carving Played Ritual Role in Ancient Mesoamerican City

A centuries-old stone crocodile carving used in Mesoamerican rituals was recently discovered in Mexico, offering clues about an ancient city's ceremonial practices, and its relationship with a larger city nearby. Archaeologists found the slab of carved rock in what is now Oaxaca, near a temple in the ruins of the...

Sep 21, 2016

Modern Alligator Looks a Lot Like Its 8-Million-Year-Old Cousin

Modern American alligators crawling around today in the swampy grounds of the Southeast U.S. don't look much different than their ancient ancestors did, recent research suggests. The findings from fossils show that these scary creatures look pretty much the same as their ancestors did 8 million years ago. With the...

Nov 28, 2016

Photos: 'Giant Crocodile' Mummy Is Packed With Baby Crocs

Giant crocodile? Not exactly. (Image credit: Copyright Interspectral 2016)A mummified giant crocodile that measures 10 feet (3 meters) in length and is approximately 2,000 years old was more than it appeared to be, curators at the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities recently discovered. Read the full story about the mysterious...

Nov 28, 2016

Crocodile Mummy Kept Dozens of Baby Crocs Under Wraps

High-resolution scans of a sizable Egyptian crocodile mummy have revealed a secret that the croc had literally kept under wraps for 2,000 years. There were unexpected stowaways hidden under the mummy's bandages — dozens of baby crocodiles, each one individually swaddled. Earlier scans of the mummy completed in 1996 had...

Jan 17, 2017

Later Gator! Video of Giant 'Humpback' Alligator Goes Viral

Why did the alligator cross the road? To get to the other side … very, very, slowly. A viral video of a massive, and monstrous alligator known unofficially as Humpback has just been posted on the Facebook page of a natural reserve in Florida. The giant alligator was caught trekking...