The sex of a Nile crocodile is determined by the average temperature of the egg (which is buried in the sand with the others in the clutch) during the middle third of the incubation period. If the temperature is between 89 degrees and 94 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 34 degrees C), the crocodile will be a male. If it is outside of that range, it will be something else.
Unlike most reptiles, mama crocs have strong maternal instincts and are very protective of their eggs and young--perhaps the reason why herpetologists who poke thermometers into crocodile nests are often nicknamed "Stumpy."
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