Crocodile Coloring Pages

What kind of creature is Crocodile?

Crocodile is a big reptile that lives near water, like rivers, swamps, and seas.
It has sharp teeth lined up in a long snout, and its back is covered with hard scales.
It walks on land with four short legs, and swims in the water by swinging its long tail side to side.
It has lived in almost the exact same form since long, long ago when dinosaurs were alive.

Eyes and nose are on top of the head

Crocodile's eyes and nostrils are on top of its head.
That is why it can sink its body in the water, but keep just its eyes and nose out to look around and breathe.
The second coloring page shows Crocodile floating in the water just like that.
It waits very still without moving, and quickly catches prey when it comes to drink water.

Sunbathing with an open mouth

Crocodile cannot raise its own body temperature, so it warms its body in the sun.
When it gets too hot, it opens its mouth wide to let the heat out.
The third coloring page shows a Nile Crocodile resting on a riverbank with its mouth open.
It might look scary, but it is just relaxing and enjoying the sun.

Friends of Crocodile

Crocodile is divided into three big groups: crocodiles, alligators, and gharials.
In the crocodile group, you can see the bottom teeth from the outside even when the mouth is closed.
In the alligator group, the tip of the snout is round and wide, and the bottom teeth are hidden when the mouth is closed.
The gharial group is special because it has a very thin and long snout.
The saltwater crocodile and Nile crocodile in these coloring pages are both in the crocodile group.

Where you can meet Crocodile

Crocodile does not live in the wild in Japan.
You can see a real Crocodile at zoos, aquariums, and facilities that care for many crocodiles.
Watch carefully to see how Crocodile stays very still, but sometimes opens its big mouth or swims super fast!

3 Coloring pages

There are 3 coloring pages.
The first page is a saltwater Crocodile lying on its belly on land. It was drawn from a real photo, all the way to the bumpy scales on its back.
The second page shows Crocodile floating in a river with its eyes and back poking out, and a heron on the bank.
The third page shows Crocodile sunbathing with its mouth open, and the view of the riverbank.
There are also coloring pages of water creatures like Hippo and Sea Turtle.

Colors of the Crocodile

Crocodile's body is dark green, olive green, or grayish brown.
If you make the back a little darker and the belly and sides light yellow or cream color, Crocodile will look just like the real thing!
If you color just the tips of the bumpy scales on the back a lighter color, they will look raised up.

Make the Scales Spotted

Crocodile's scales have dark spots here and there.
Try adding dots of dark brown on some of the scales!
If you make every other stripe on the tail darker, Crocodile will look even cooler.

The Mouth and Eyes

Color the inside of the mouth light yellow or light pink, and leave the teeth white.
Make the eyes yellow or yellow-green, and color the thin pupils dark brown to give Crocodile sharp eyes!

The Water and the Riverbank

Color the water light blue or light green. If you leave the rings of ripples white, the water will look like it is moving!
Make the sand on the riverbank light yellowish brown and the grass yellow-green.
If you make the water around Crocodile a little darker, Crocodile will pop right out!

The Heron on the Second Page and the Bird on the Third Page

For the heron on the bank on the second page, color the body white or light gray, and the beak and legs yellow.
Color the lotus leaves green, and the trees dark brown and green.
For the butterfly on the third page, color it any color you like! Placing bright colors near Crocodile makes your picture look lively.
The leaves of the palm trees are yellow-green, and the trunks are brown.

The biggest reptile

The Saltwater Crocodile on the first sheet is the biggest reptile living today.
Males can grow over 5 meters long!
They can go out into the sea, so they sometimes swim from island to island.

Teeth grow back again and again

When Crocodile loses a tooth, a new one grows in from underneath.
Their teeth grow back many times throughout their lives.
But they cannot chew food into small pieces, so they twist and shake big prey to tear it up to eat.

The "Wani" in old tales

In the old Japanese tale "The White Rabbit of Inaba", it is said that the "wani" whose backs the rabbit crossed were actually sharks.
Even today, people in the San'in region call sharks "wani".

Egg temperature decides if it is a boy or a girl

Crocodile lays eggs in mounds of sand or grass.
The temperature around the eggs decides whether the babies will be boys or girls.
Mother Crocodile stays close by to watch over her eggs until they hatch.