Crocodiles in Madagascar
Until today, the species Crocodylus niloticus is the only one native to the rivers of Madagascar. However, the island was once home to an endemic crocodile species, Crocodylus robutus, which is now extinct. Long a topic of controversial discussion among scientists, as this subfossil species was considered a subspecies of Crocodylus niloticus or was unclear, it is now recognized as a distinct, endemic species. Its closest relative would be the African dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis. 
Crocodylus niloticus is undoubtedly the most dangerous reptile on the island, with the largest specimens weighing up to a ton. Exceeding 5 meters in length, the Madagascar Nile crocodile is a very good swimmer, native to most rivers, lakes, lagoons, and marshy areas on the west coast of Madagascar up to 900 meters in altitude.
The female lays an average of 20 eggs on sunny sandbanks in October. She takes care to bury them in holes up to a meter deep. The eggs are then incubated for 20 to 25 days before the small crocodiles hatch, measuring about fifteen centimeters.
During the entire cool season (April to October), the Madagascar Nile crocodile enters a vegetative state. They consume very little food. spending most of the day lying on its stomach, sleeping and sunbathing. At night, it returns to the water for protection. The shelters are dug into the banks, with the entrance at least partially in the water and the rest dry. When the first heat arrives, the crocodile emerges from its stupor and begins searching for food. Its diet mainly consists of fish, water birds, turtles, and sometimes cattle, goats, or dogs. The largest prey is not immediately swallowed, as the crocodile lets it undergo a beginning of decomposition in its shelter.
The crocodile is equipped with.
Other species that frequent its environment sometimes come into contact with Egretta gularis, Anhinga melanogaster, and the shelter can be used as a refuge for other species.
As the origin of many legends, stories, beliefs, and rituals, the crocodile (“voay” or “Mamba” in Malagasy) is often considered sacred and revered in Madagascar.
Sometimes, the crocodile is seen as the ancestor of the Zafindravoay clan (Antandroy) or as the protector of the Antanosy Antavaratra as the reincarnation of certain individuals. Zebus often pay for sacrificial rites in honor of the reptiles. In many regions, it is forbidden to hunt or kill crocodiles or even to point a gun at a body of water. Crocodile teeth have been used to make talismans and in the past as relics to preserve royal remains (tooth, nail, and hair remnants). But if Malagasy culture is rich in facts and anecdotes about crocodiles, their skins are highly coveted, and they are still intensively hunted.
