Crocodiles

Available for over a year

Not many creatures can boast being a god, a sports logo, a sly trickster, a bringer of fertility, a producer of false tears and a comic book hero, but then not many animals have lived on earth for as long as the crocodile. It is a cold-bloodied killer, using crude techniques to crush and drown its prey, but it is a master of survival over millions of years. In the Nile, where they grow to 7 metres and 1000 kilogrammes, they were revered as gods; they even had their own city Crocodilopolis where mummified crocs were the subject of long, sacred rituals. Cleopatra viewed herself as a sexy crocodile devouring Mark Anthony. More recently they were used by JM Barrie in Peter Pan to bring us the much loved ticking time-bomb that silently chased Captain Cook. We are in awe of their lightning fast movements and cold, ruthless character. The famous tennis player Rene Lacoste was considered such a ferocious player he was nicknamed The Crocodile, and the iconic sports logo was born. Our relationship with crocodiles is complex, a mixture of fear and reverence. Today we are finding more about the non-predatory side of their lives - how they use tools and cooperate. The crocodile continues to beguile us.