They're big, theyre more closely related to birds than to lizards, but we call them reptiles.

I have to confess- in spite of being a herpetologist, in spite of working in areas where crocodiles are common for half my
working life- crocodiles freak me out. There is something primordially frightening in the rapidity with which they can
vanish - and appear without leaving a ripple. Their eyes lack any form of lightness, and their intelligence, unfathomable,
is about hunting. When you enter the crocodile's domain, you become just another menu item.

I know about crocodiles. I know how rapidly they can move, how quickly they recognise patterns of behaviour, how powerful
they are. I know that while I am on a boat I am safe, as long as I keep watch. Were I to enter the water with a large crocodile,
however, I know that I would provide an opportunity the crocodile would be unlikely to miss..

Crocodiles freak me out.