structural:expansion
In mythology

Crocodilians have had prominent roles in the narratives of various cultures around the world and may even have inspired stories of dragons. In Ancient Egyptian religion, Ammit, the devourer of unworthy souls, and Sobek, the god of power, protection, and fertility, are both represented as having crocodile heads. This reflects the Egyptians ' view of the crocodile both as a terrifying predator and an important part of the Nile ecosystem. The crocodile was one of several animals that the Egyptians mummified. Crocodiles were also associated with various water deities by peoples of West Africa. During the Benin Empire, crocodiles were considered the "policemen of the waters" and symbolised the power of the king or oba to punish wrongdoers. The Leviathan described in the Book of Job may have been based on a crocodile. In Mesoamerica, the Aztecs had a crocodilian god of fertility named Cipactli who protected crops. In Aztec mythology, the earth deity Tlaltecuhtli is send to bond with a "great caiman". The Maya also worshipped crocodilian gods and even believed that the world was supported on the back of a swimming crocodile. An Australian Dreamtime story tells of a crocodile ancestor who had fire all to himself, until a "rainbow bird" stole fire-sticks for man; hence the crocodile lives in water.