While it might be cute to say father knows best, at least in this picture the crocodile daddy is showing off his good side. As you can see, the crocodile father is swimming with his babies. He’s got them on his back while he’s making his way through the water. What in the world is going on here?
Maybe he’s just taking care of business. We also know that this is a Gharial crocodile. It is one of the largest of all species of crocodiles. Did you know that it could reach 16 to 20 feet in length? Imagine carrying your babies all across your very long back. We don’t know how many croc babies are hanging out with Dad in this photo. But it does look like a lot of them are along for the ride. By the way, females can grow between 11.5 and 15 feet in length, too. So, it looks like these crocodiles will take up a lot of space wherever they do land.
Just take a look at that photo. That’s a lot of babies on board for the ride. Crocodiles are definitely not an animal that anyone should mess around with at all. It’s probably best to leave it alone, too, within its own habitat. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, adult gharial crocs will eat a lot of fish. Juvenile gharials will chomp down on insects, frogs, and crustaceans.