Crocodiles
Ingwenya

© Roger de la Harpe

Ibonakala Ngani

Kunezinhlobo ezimbalwa zeNile crodile. Inkulu inobude obungamamitha amahlanu. Zikhona izinkulumo zokuthi kuke kwabonakala ezifika kumamitha ayisikhombisa ubude kepha asinabo ubufakazi balokho. Kuthiwa lezi zingwenya ezindaweni ezibandayo ziba zincanyana; endala iba nobude obungamamitha amane. Kunezinhlobo ezimbili ezaziwa ngama-dwarf crocodile eziphila ezimeni ezinzima. Zitholakala eMali naseSaharan Desert. Ngenxa yalezi zimo endala iyaba ngamamitha amabili noma amathathu ubude. Ezincane zibs nsundu bese zibe nomugqa omnyama emzibeni naseqolo. Lo mugqa awube usagqama uma ikhula.

Zindla nhlobini yokudla

Yize ezincane ziye zidliswe izilwane ezincane kanye nezintuthwane, zithi uma sezindala zidle ezinkudlwana njengezinhlanzi namaxoxo. Ezindala zona zidla ukudla okukhulu njengenyamazane, inyathi, imvubu encane nokuningi. Zibuye zaziwe ngokudla abantu zibulala abantu abaningi emdenini. Esibalweni sezimvubu namabhubesi, izingwenya nazo zibulala abantu abangaphezulu kwekhulu nabanyamalalayo onyakeni.
Ziyakucosha ukudla okubulawe ezinye izilwane zikudle nezinye izilwane ezingasabani nazo. Sekuke kwatholakala izilwane ezifihlwe ematsheni loko kwakhombisa ukuthi izingwena ziyakuthukusa ukudla ezingakudingi ngaleso sikhathi ukuze zikudle uma sezilambile ngesinye isikhathi. Kukhona abathi ingwenya ithanda ukudla osekubolile khona zizokwazi ukuhlephula inyama alikholakali lelo phuzu. Inyama iyathamba uma isemanzini kodwa azikudli ukudla okubolile. Uma zidla zibamba leso silwane ngamazinyo. Zisuke ziningi ngakho ziyayinikiza inyama leyo ukuze ihlephuke.
Enye indlela ezike zabonakala zidla ngayo ukuthi zibeziningi zizungeze izinhlanzi emanzini bese ziyadla. Izikhundla zokuphatha ziye zibonakale uma kudliwa, ezikhonyayo zidla kuqala. Ziyakwazi npkusuka ziyofuna ukudla okubulewe ezinye izilwane kude nasemanzini. Ezindala sezike zabonakala zidoba izinhlanzi zisebenzisa umsila, zikhiphela izinhlanzi ngaphandle kwamanzi.

Mayelana nokuzalana

Zimba imigodi engangamamithi angama-50m ezihlabathini emamitheni ambalwa ukuqhelelana namanzi. Le migozi isetshenzuswa njengezidleke. Ziyakhelana nezinye izidleke. Izinkathi zokufukamela ziyahlukahlukana, kuyangokuthi eyakuphi ingwenya. Enyakatho zibekela ngezikhathi zesomiso kuthi eningizimu zibekele ngezikhathi zemvula kusuka ngoLwezi kuya kuZibandlela. Ezesifazane ziqala ukwenza abantwana uma zingamamitha angu-2.6 kuthi ezesilisa uma sezingu-3.1m. Ezesifazane zibekela amagqanda angama-40 kuya kuma-60 esidlekeni. Ezesifazane zihlala eduze kwesidleke ngaso sonke isikhathi. Zifukamela izinsuku ezingama-80 kuya kuma-90. Emuva kwaloko ezesifazane zivula isidleke zithathe izingwenya ezincane zizise emanzini.
Ubulili bobubili buyasiza ekuvuleni amaqanda ngesineke uma echamisela. Izingwenya ezincane zinakekelwa iminyaka emibili. Ezesifazane zibumba iqembu lokunakekela ezincane. Esezikhulle azihlali nezindala. Yize izidleke zisuke zinakekeliwe kepha zinokuhlaselwa oxamu, izimpisi nabantu. Loku kuye kwenzeke uma kudingeke eyezifazane ukuba iyophola emanzini.

Indlela eziziphatha ngayo

Impatho yezingwenya inokuthathelwa phansi, yize kunezinxenye zayo ezingakaziwa kahle. Kepha sekuke kwanakeka ukuthi kunezikhudla ezibonakala uma kudliwa. Lapho kuye kunakeke ukuthi ezingekho ezikhundleni eziphakeme zidla kancane kuneziphethe.

Zitholakalaphi

Izingwenya zitholakala eNingizimu Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, Swaziland, Zambia naseZimbabwe.

Igama Lazo lesiLatin

Crocodylus niloticus. Ngenxa yokuhlukahlukana kwazo llezingwenya nemikhakha emini nanka amagama avelile azo. Awahluknisiwe kanti awaziw ngokusemthethweni. C. n. africanus (East African Nile Crocodile), C. n. chamses (West African Nile crocodile), C. n. corviei (South African Nile crocodile), C. n. madagascariensis (Malagasy Nile crocodile, Malagasy alligator, Croco Mada), C. n. niloticus (Ethiopian Nile crocodile), C. n. pauciscutatus (Kenyan Nile crocodile, Kenya alligator, Kenya caiman), C. n. suchus (Central African Nile crocodile).