What Kind Of Animals Live Near The Nile River?
The Nile River is possibly the most famous river in history. It was by its banks that one of the oldest civilizations in the world began. Not surprisingly, the Nile teems with life. Many different types of animals, birds, and fish all call the Nile River home. Hundreds of years ago, even hippos and lions could be found here in the Nile Valley. The river in this picture looks much like it did a thousand years ago. The crocodile’s eyes and nostrils are on top of the head so it can see and breathe while the rest of it is underwater. As an added advantage, its ears and nostrils can close when it dives, and a nitrating membrane (a transparent eyelid) closes over the eye to keep water out. Nile Crocodiles range all over Africa, eating almost anything (including each other!), but rarely moving away from their chosen body of water. Hatch lings eat small fish and insects; adults will go after turtles, baboons, and even the gigantic wildebeest. They live in large “communities” of several dozen c
