![]() ![]() Research has revealed that the reptiles are resistant to HIV. Nature’s Garbage DisposalĬrocodiles and other members of the Crocodilian family have a ferocious digestive system that is immune to bacteria, viruses, and microbes. In the 1990s, conservationists began educating the local people on the importance of crocodiles, arguing that their excrement act as fertilizer and food for fish. Consequently, fish populations declined drastically, and the local people suffered economically. Crocodiles in these ecosystems died of starvation or migrated to other regions. In the 1970s and 80s, watersheds in Asia were logged, rivers dammed, and the marine population decimated by dynamite, electricity, and pesticides. Wetlands in the Philippines suffer from pollution, flow modification, habitat degradation, invasive species, and over-exploitation. Caimans and crocodiles in the Amazon damage gillnet, enabling fingerlings and small fish to escape while allowing fishermen with lines to catch large fish.Įcologists argue that the extinction of crocodiles could disrupt ecological processes and damage the ecosystem. Crocodile droppings serve as nutritious food for fish. They also regulate and prevent the dominance of a single fish species. They maintain a healthy aquatic population by eating ailing fish, thus allowing healthy ones to regenerate and grow without competition or the risk of contradicting diseases. Crocodiles play a vital role in maintaining the balance of an ecosystem.Ecological Value Of CrocodilesCrocodiles are essential in maintaining the diversity and productivity of wetlands. The reptiles have undergone minimal evolutionary change for the past 30 million years and still possess the same skills and features as their ancestors. Wild crocodiles ambush and clamp down prey before crushing bones and flesh using their massive jaws. They feed on birds, frogs, crustaceans, fish, and other animals. The smallest of the 13 species is the dwarf crocodile, while the largest is the saltwater crocodile. The alligator resides freshwater marshes and swamps from Texas to southeastern and coastal North Carolina.What Is The Ecological Role Of Crocodiles? Crocodiles are apex predators in their ecosystem.Ĭrocodiles are found in Africa, the Americas, Australia, and Asia. At the northern frontier of its range in Florida, American crocodiles coincide with alligators. ![]() ![]() The American crocodile occupies littoral environments of utmost South Florida. The crocodile is one of two crocodilians endemic species to the U.S. states, especially South Dakota and Wyoming. states, and predators move unobstructedly among Nebraska and neighboring U.S. Mountain lions in Nebraska are a division of the larger population spread through all western U.S. In Nebraska, the mountain lion is the largest carnivore. Currently, The coyote most abundant largest predator in states: North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana. Native to the western 2/3 of the U.S., coyotes began considerably extending their range in the early twentieth century. states of Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Montana. The most regular is the American black bear. There are three species of bears in the United States. The map below shows the largest predator (and the number of observations) in each U.S. It is, in addition to human narrow-mindedness, makes them defenseless to extermination. ![]() Wide-ranging behavior and food demands often cause them to collide with humans and cattle. These predators often require large prey and broad territories because of the high metabolic requirements and big body mass. Most of them have undergone considerable population drops, and range decreases throughout America during the past centuries. The largest predators usually have a broad range and rare because of their places at the top of food chains. ![]()
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