Crocodylus niloticus (Crocodilia) is highly sensitive to water surface waves

•Crocodylus niloticus is highly sensitive to capillary water surface waves.•Their sensitivity is similar to that of semi-aquatic insects and fishing spiders.•The sensitivity of surface-feeding fishes is higher by one to two orders of magnitude. Crocodiles show oriented responses to water surface wave stimuli but up to now behavioral thresholds are missing. This study determines the behavioral thresholds of crocodilians to water surface waves. Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) were conditioned to respond to single-frequency water surface wave stimuli (duration 1150ms, frequency 15, 30, 40, 60 and 80Hz), produced by blowing air onto the water surface. Our study shows that C. niloticus is highly sensitive to capillary water surface waves. Threshold values decreased with increasing frequency and ranged between 10.3μm (15Hz) and 0.5μm (80Hz) peak-to-peak wave amplitude. For the frequencies 15Hz and 30Hz the sensitivity of one spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) to water surface waves was also tested. Threshold values were 12.8μm (15Hz) down to 1.76μm (30Hz), i.e. close to the threshold values of C. niloticus. The surface wave sensitivity of crocodiles is similar to the surface wave sensitivity of semi-aquatic insects and fishing spiders but does not match the sensitivity of surface-feeding fishes which is higher by one to two orders of magnitude.