Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

31.2K
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
31.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reaction-time signatures reveal divergent cognitive strategies underlying numerical decisions in monkeys and crows.

Cognition·2026
Same author

Coordinated parieto-frontal neuronal communication is critical for abstract quantity judgments in primates.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

Neuronal encoding of recognition memory for numerical quantities in macaque intraparietal and prefrontal cortices.

Progress in neurobiology·2025
Same author

Interaction of barn owl leading edge serrations with freestream turbulence.

Bioinspiration & biomimetics·2024
Same author

The incomparable fascination of comparative physiology: 40 years with animals in the field and laboratory.

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2023
Same author

Hydrodynamic reception in the Australian water rat, Hydromys chrysogaster.

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2020

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 26, 2025

Activity of Posterior Lateral Line Afferent Neurons during Swimming in Zebrafish
10:34

Activity of Posterior Lateral Line Afferent Neurons during Swimming in Zebrafish

Published on: February 10, 2021

4.1K

Stimulus discrimination and surface wave source localization in Crocodilians.

Nadja J Grap1, Tobias Machts1, Sarah Essert1

  • 1Institute of Zoology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 169, 53115, Bonn, Germany.

Zoology (Jena, Germany)
|March 7, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Juvenile Nile crocodiles and spectacled caimans detect prey using water surface waves. These reptiles can discriminate wave frequencies and directions, aiding in prey localization and hunting strategies.

Keywords:
BehaviorCrocodileIntegumentary sensory organsMechanoreceptionWater surface waves

More Related Videos

Recordings of Neural Circuit Activation in Freely Behaving Animals
08:53

Recordings of Neural Circuit Activation in Freely Behaving Animals

Published on: July 22, 2009

11.9K
Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish
10:56

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish

Published on: March 6, 2014

12.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 26, 2025

Activity of Posterior Lateral Line Afferent Neurons during Swimming in Zebrafish
10:34

Activity of Posterior Lateral Line Afferent Neurons during Swimming in Zebrafish

Published on: February 10, 2021

4.1K
Recordings of Neural Circuit Activation in Freely Behaving Animals
08:53

Recordings of Neural Circuit Activation in Freely Behaving Animals

Published on: July 22, 2009

11.9K
Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish
10:56

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish

Published on: March 6, 2014

12.9K

Area of Science:

  • * Comparative animal behavior
  • * Sensory biology
  • * Mechanoreception in aquatic reptiles

Background:

  • * Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) and spectacled caimans (Caiman crocodilus) utilize water surface waves for prey detection.
  • * This sensory modality relies on integumentary sensory organs (mechanosensors) to detect vibrations.
  • * Understanding these sensory capabilities is crucial for comprehending predator-prey dynamics in aquatic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the frequency discrimination abilities of juvenile Nile crocodiles and spectacled caimans regarding water surface waves.
  • * To determine the capacity of these reptiles to differentiate between single-frequency and frequency-modulated surface waves.
  • * To assess the accuracy of Nile crocodiles in determining the direction and distance of surface wave stimuli.

Main Methods:

  • * Go/no-go conditioning experiments were employed to assess behavioral responses to controlled surface wave stimuli.
  • * Stimuli varied in frequency, frequency modulation, and amplitude modulation to test discrimination thresholds.
  • * Directional accuracy and distance estimation were measured using specific experimental setups with Nile crocodiles.

Main Results:

  • * Both species demonstrated significant ability to discriminate between surface waves differing in frequency, with thresholds around 4-5%.
  • * C. niloticus and C. crocodilus could distinguish single-frequency waves from those with abrupt frequency changes (3-9% threshold).
  • * Nile crocodiles accurately determined wave direction (13.7°-16.6° error) and estimated distance (25-37% error), even with complex or superimposed stimuli.

Conclusions:

  • * Juvenile crocodiles and caimans possess sophisticated mechanosensory systems enabling fine discrimination of water surface wave properties.
  • * These abilities, including frequency and direction detection, are vital for effective prey localization and hunting.
  • * The findings highlight the ecological significance of hydroacoustic sensing in the predatory behavior of these crocodilians.