Ever encounter a crocodile in the wild?  Or ever plan to?  Here are some facts you should know about the swampy beasts before encountering them yourself.

Crocs are one of the oldest living reptiles whose ancestors existed during the days of the dinosaurs.

They are smarter than your average reptile, they have one of the most highly developed brain of the species.

It's eyes have a nictitating membrane made of a thin translucent tissue that is used as protection for their eyes when open underwater.

Talk about bite force! They constantly replace old teeth with new ones and some species may produce nearly 100 teeth during their lifetimes.

Hide and Seek - Crocodiles have sense organs on their skin and face that might enable them to detect food by distinguishing changes in pressure or electrical impulses when prey moves nearby in the water. Some crocodiles can hold their breath for an hour when they are fairly inactive.

Crocodiles can communicate using a variety of different calls.

Nothing is too rough for them to swallow, the crocodile's digestive system is highly acidic which allows it to digest bones and horns.