人们常把短吻鳄与其他品种的鳄鱼混为一谈,甚至名字都相互混用。虽然短吻鳄长得像其他鳄鱼,但通过几个关键的体貌特征差异,就能轻松地把它与其他品种的鳄鱼区分开来。
步骤
部分
1
部分 1 的 3:
观察体貌特征的差异
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1
查看吻部。区分短吻鳄与其他鳄鱼最简单的办法就是查看吻部。短吻鳄吻部宽而圆厚,呈“U”字型,而且鼻子大;而其他品种的鳄鱼吻部更狭长、更薄,呈“V”字型,鼻子较小。短吻鳄吻部通常比其他品种的鳄鱼吻部短。
- 短吻鳄宽大的鼻子使它比其他鳄鱼更有力量。相比其他鳄鱼,短吻鳄更容易咬碎龟等硬壳猎物,[1]
而其他鳄鱼则更倾向于吃鱼类和哺乳类。
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2
留意牙齿的差异。其他品种的鳄鱼上下颚几乎等宽,因此,它上下颚的牙齿沿着颌线像锁链一样咬合在一起,即使闭嘴时也不例外。短吻鳄上颚比下颚宽,因此,当它闭嘴时,下颚牙齿会陷入上颚牙槽里,导致无法看见,只有上颚牙齿沿着下颌线露出嘴外。
- 短吻鳄上颚比下颚宽,所以能把下颚完全盖住。当它闭嘴时,下颚牙齿就被上颚完全盖住,而无法看见。
- 其他品种的鳄鱼上下颚几乎等宽,当它们闭嘴时,上下颚牙齿像锁链一样咬合在一起,并且有些牙齿突露于嘴外。当下颚两侧的第四颗牙齿尖耸突出于上唇外时,它看起来就像是在微笑一样。[2]
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3
观察身体的差异。短吻鳄皮肤颜色比其他品种的鳄鱼深。其他鳄鱼肤色较浅,通常是橄榄绿或棕色;而短吻鳄肤色更深,通常是黑灰色。短吻鳄的身体比其他鳄鱼短。其他品种的成年鳄鱼平均体长6米,而成年短吻鳄平均体长3米。[3]
- 成年短吻鳄平均体重360至450公斤,而其他品种的成年鳄鱼能长得更重些,平均体重450至900公斤。[4]
- 短吻鳄平均寿命30至50岁,而其他品种的鳄鱼平均寿命70至100岁。[5]
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4
留意腿脚的差异。绝大多数的鳄鱼后腿和脚上都有饰边皮纹,而短吻鳄没有。此外,短吻鳄的脚掌有蹼,而其他品种的鳄鱼没有。[6]
部分
2
部分 2 的 3:
根据自然栖息地进行判断
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1
看看是否生活在淡水里。由于对盐的耐受力低,因此短吻鳄通常生活在淡水里,不过有时也在淡水和咸水交混的半咸水地带生活。沼泽和湿地是短吻鳄主要的栖息地,但也能在河、湖和其他小型水体中发现它们。虽然短吻鳄更喜欢温暖环境,但也能在低至冰点的环境中存活下来。[7]
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2
看看是否生活在热带气候地区或咸水里。除了短吻鳄之外,其他鳄鱼都能通过调节舌头上的唾液腺来适应咸水,因此它们通常生活在湖、河、湿地和某些咸水地带附近。因为是冷血动物,自身不产热,所以它们必须生活在热带气候地区。[8]
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3
看看分布在哪些国家和地区。短吻鳄生活在美国南部和中国南部,而其他鳄鱼生活在非洲、亚洲、澳洲和美洲的热带气候地区。美国是唯一既有短吻鳄又有其他品种鳄鱼栖息的国家。
- 美国的短吻鳄最常见于佛罗里达州和路易斯安那州。此外,在阿拉巴马州、佐治亚州、南卡罗来纳州、密西西比州和得克萨斯州,也能时不时见到短吻鳄。
- 在美国,其他品种的鳄鱼通常生活在佛罗里达州。[9]
部分
3
部分 3 的 3:
观察习性的差异
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1
观察鳄鱼在水里的活跃程度。相比短吻鳄,其他品种的鳄鱼在水里更活跃,待在水里的时间更长。短吻鳄绝大多数时间都待在湿地和湖泊周边的绿地或泥地里。[10]
- 短吻鳄喜欢在淡水边的草墩里产卵。
- 其他品种的鳄鱼则在泥地、沙地等更干燥一些的地方产卵。[11]
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2
看看有多好斗。短吻鳄的攻击性比其他品种的鳄鱼小。其他鳄鱼随时都有可能攻击靠近它的东西,而短吻鳄往往只在饥饿或受到威胁时才发起攻击。
- 在自然栖息地或动物园里,短吻鳄对人的攻击性比其他品种的鳄鱼小得多。
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3
留意游速的差异。包括短吻鳄在内的所有鳄鱼都游速极快,每小时可以游高达30公里。在陆地上的行动就稍慢些,但通常也能达到每小时移动20公里的速度。由于体型较小,而且耐力较好,短吻鳄通常比其他品种的鳄鱼能爬行更长时间。[12]
警告
- 无论是短吻鳄还是其他鳄鱼,攻击性都很强。除非你有专业驯兽师陪同,否则别靠近它们。
- 如果你真要进入短吻鳄或其他鳄鱼的栖息地,千万不要显露出任何攻击意图。注意在春季交配期,雄鳄鱼更具攻击性。