Editing Crocodile (section)

===Reproduction===
====Mating====
[[File:Nile crocodile eggs.jpg|thumb|Crocodile eggs]]
[[courtship display|Courtship]] takes place in a series of behavioural interactions that include a variety of snout rubbing and submissive display that can take a long time. Mating always takes place in water, where the pair can be observed mating several times.<ref name="autogenerated2000"/>

====Egg-laying & nesting====
[[Egg]]-laying usually takes place at night and about 30–40 minutes, which are laid in either holes or mound [[nest]]s, depending on species.<ref name="autogenerated2000"/>  The eggs are hard shelled, but translucent at the time of egg-laying. Depending on the species of crocodile, 7 to 95 eggs are laid. <ref name=webb/> [[Scute]]s may play a role in calcium storage for eggshell formation.<ref name=":0" />   

[[Nest]]ing periods range from a few weeks up to six months. A hole nest is usually excavated in sand and a mound nest is usually constructed out of vegetation. Females can build or dig several trial nests which appear incomplete and abandoned later. <ref name="autogenerated2000">{{cite book |author1=K. Richardson |author2=G. Webb |author3=C. Manolis |title = Crocodiles: Inside and Out |year = 2000}}</ref> Females are highly protective of their nests and young. Crocodile [[embryo]]s do not have sex chromosomes, and unlike humans, sex is not determined genetically. [[Temperature-dependent sex determination|Sex is determined by temperature]], where at {{convert|30|°C|0|abbr=on}} or less most hatchlings are females and at {{convert|31|°C|0|abbr=on}}, offspring are of both sexes. A temperature of {{convert|32|to|33|°C|0|abbr=on}} gives mostly males whereas above {{convert|33|°C|0|abbr=on}} in some species continues to give males, but in other species resulting in females, which are sometimes called high-temperature females.<ref name=webb>{{cite book |author1=G. Webb |author2=C. Manolis |title = Crocodiles of Australia |year = 1989}}</ref> Temperature also affects growth and survival rate of the young, which may explain the [[sexual dimorphism]] in crocodiles. The average [[incubation period]] is around 80 days, and also is dependent on temperature and species that usually ranges from 65 to 95 days. The eggshell structure is very conservative through evolution but there are enough changes to tell different species apart by their eggshell microstructure.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Marzola | first1 = M. | last2 = Russo | first2 = J. | last3 = Mateus | first3 = O. | year = 2015 | title = Identification and comparison of modern and fossil crocodilian eggs and eggshell structures | journal = Historical Biology | volume = 27 | issue = 1| pages = 115–133 | doi=10.1080/08912963.2013.871009| bibcode = 2015HBio...27..115M | s2cid = 85685470 }}</ref> 

At the time of hatching, the young start calling within the eggs. They have an [[egg-tooth]] at the tip of their snouts, which is developed from the skin, and that helps them pierce out of the shell. Hearing the calls, the female usually excavates the nest and sometimes takes the unhatched eggs in her mouth, slowly rolling the eggs to help the process. The young is usually carried to the water in the mouth. She would then introduce her hatchlings to the water and even feed them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2008/11/08/crocs-feed-their-babies/|title=Do crocodilians (sometimes) feed their young?|publisher=Science Blogs|author=Darren Naish}} 8 November 2008</ref> The mother would then take care of her young for over a year before the next mating season. In the absence of the mother crocodile, the father would act in her place to take care of the young.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oddstuffmagazine.com/10-delightful-baby-animals-that-grow-up-to-be-fatal-predators.html|title=10 Delightful Baby Animals that Grow up to Be Fatal Predators|date=3 February 2012|publisher=Odd Stuff}} 3 February 2012</ref> However, even with a sophisticated [[Paternal care|parental nurturing]], young crocodiles have a very high mortality rate due to their vulnerability to predation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animals.mom.me/life-cycle-alligators-crocodiles-8058.html|title=THE LIFE CYCLE OF ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES|publisher=Demand Media|author= Jasey Kelly}}</ref> A group of [[hatchling]]s is called a pod or [[Crèche (zoology)|crèche]] and may be protected for months.<ref name="autogenerated2000" />