Dear Alexandra,

Well, it depends who you ask. A fish, frog, or small bird might call a baby crocodile a predator. A heron, wild pig, or eagle might call it a meal. A mother and father crocodile might call a baby crocodile a full-time job. But the answer you’re probably looking for is what biologists call a baby crocodile, and that’s a hatchling.

A hatchling is a reptile, fish, amphibian, or bird that hatches from an egg. A bunch of baby crocodile eggs is called a clutch. Sometimes the female crocodile will lay more than 90 eggs. Hatchlings leave the eggs with all the instincts they need to survive in nature. As one of the world’s most ferocious reptiles, they’ve got some killer instincts.

Sincerely,

Dr. Universe