One of the best rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safaris. Guests ride on a big safari vehicle and get to see lots of African animals in their habitat. I love to take pictures of all the animals, but when I get home I often wish I knew the names of the animals in my pictures and maybe some facts about them. In Safari Stars, my new series, I will introduce you to 10 African animals found on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Along with a picture and their name I’ll give you 5 fun facts about each animal. Happiness Squared. Today’s animal is the Nile crocodile.
Do you know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? I never can remember and often get them confused. Since I have learned that there are 23 types of crocodilians (that’s what crocodiles and alligators are called) it no longer bothers me that I can’t tell them apart. The crocodilians seen on Kilimanjaro Safaris are Nile crocodiles. I don’t know how to identify them, but I know they are BIG. It doesn’t matter to me if they are alligators or crocodiles. They are still amazing animals.
5 fun facts about Nile crocodiles:
1) The Nile crocodile is the largest crocodile in Africa. It is 16 to 20 feet in length and can weigh anywhere from 500 to 1500 pounds.
2) Fish make up a large part of their diet, but they will also eat anything that comes to the water’s edge, including zebras, baby hippos, and humans.
3) A group of Nile crocodiles is called a bask when they are on land and a float when they are in the water.
4) They can eat half of their body weight when feeding. That would be like a human eating 60 to 75 pounds of food in one sitting.
5) Nile crocodiles are good parents. They stay by their eggs to protect them and even help the baby crocodiles get out of their egg shells when they hatch.
Can you tell the difference between an aligator and a crocodile?
Goofy Tip: Would you like to see Nile crocodiles and other animals of the Kilimanjaro Safaris up close and without the ride vehicles? There is a great tour that Guests can take called Wild Africa Trek. It is a three hour event that includes a guided tour of the Pangani Forest, lunch out on the savanna, and a professional photo. From rare views of the hippos to a rope bridge over the Nile crocodiles this is a tour your family will never forget.