and dead leaves to protect the eggs. But
crocodiles do not take care of their
young once they hatch.
#More to explore
Alligator • Reptile
Crow
The Native Americans called the Crow
were great hunters and warriors of the
northern Great Plains. They called
themselves the Absaroka (Children of
the Large-Beaked Bird), which was
translated by Europeans as “crow.”
The Crow were originally united with
the Hidatsa, a farming people who lived
in what are now North and South
Dakota. In the early 1700s the Crow
broke away from the Hidatsa and
traveled west, settling in the Yellowstone
River region. There the Crow gave up
Crocodiles and alligators both have long
snouts. But crocodiles have large teeth that
stick out when the mouth is closed.
An old photograph shows a Crow woman
holding her child in a cradleboard, which is
worn on the back.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Crow 221
farming to become bison (buffalo)
hunters.
While on the hunt, the Crow lived in
temporary camps of cone-shaped tepees.
They used bison skins to cover their
tepees and to make clothing. They ate
bison meat and also gathered berries,
roots, and other wild plants for food.
In the early 1800s white traders and
settlers began arriving in Crow territory.
At first the Crow were friendly to the
newcomers. Many Crow men joined the
U.S. Army as scouts. In the 1860s and
1870s they helped the Army in battles
against other Plains Indians. But at the
same time American settlers disrupted
the Crow way of life. White hunters
killed the great bison herds. In 1868 the
Crow agreed to move to a reservation in
Montana that covered only a small part
of their traditional homeland. At the
end of the 20th century there were more
than 9,000 Crow, mostly in Montana.
#More to explore
Native Americans
Crow
Crows are large birds with shiny black
feathers. They often live together in
large families. They are known for their
loud voices and their intelligence. These
clever, curious birds have a reputation as
thieves and pranksters. They have been
known to fly off with all sorts of little
shiny objects, including people’s car
keys. Pet crows have even learned to
mimic, or imitate, human speech.
Crows belong to the group of birds
called songbirds. However, their calls are
typically harsh sounding, as in the “caw”
of the American crow. There are more
than 20 species, or types, of crow. They
look much like ravens, their close relatives.
They are also related to jays and
magpies.
Various types of crow are found nearly
all around the world. They live in many
different habitats, including woodlands,
farms, and cities. The American crow is
common in the United States and
Canada. The carrion crow is found in
Europe and much of Asia. Other wellknown
types include the fish crow, the
pied crow, and the house crow.
Crows tend to be smaller than ravens.
Large crows may reach about 20 inches
(50 centimeters) long. They are all or
mostly black. Crows have powerful
The Crow performed
a ritual
called the Sun
Dance. It was
to help young
warriors fight
their enemies.
Like all types of crow, the carrion crow has
shiny black feathers.
222 Crow BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
beaks, which they use for catching small
animals and opening seeds.
Crows eat a great variety of plants and
small animals. Since they eat corn and
other grains, they can be a nuisance to
farmers. However, they also help farmers
by eating insect pests.
#More to explore
Bird • Magpie • Raven • Songbird
Crusades
In wars called the Crusades, Christians
from Europe fought Muslims for control
of Jerusalem and other holy places. The
word crusade comes from the Latin
word crux, meaning “cross.” The Christian
soldiers, called Crusaders, wore the
cross as a symbol of their religion. The
Crusades took place between 1095 and
1291.
Jerusalem is a holy city to several religions.
Muslims controlled Jerusalem for
hundreds of years before the Crusades.
However, they allowed Christians to
make pilgrimages to the city.
In 1071 a new Muslim group called the
Seljuk Turks took control of Jerusalem.
They were hostile to Christian pilgrims.
They also attacked the Byzantine
Empire, which was Christian. The Byzantine
emperor feared that they would
attack Constantinople (now Istanbul,
Turkey), his capital. He asked the pope
for help. In 1095 the pope urged Christians
to take back Jerusalem.
First Crusades
The main army of the First Crusade left
Europe in August 1096. The Crusaders
captured Jerusalem on July 15, 1099.
Most of the Crusaders then returned
home. Others stayed in the Holy Land
and established Christian states. In 1144
the Turks captured one of the Christian
states. German and French rulers then
called for the Second Crusade. It was a
failure for the Christians.
The Muslim leader Saladin conquered
Jerusalem in 1187. The kings of
England, France, and Germany
launched the Third Crusade against
him. They were not able to recapture
Jerusalem. However, the English king
signed a peace treaty with Saladin in
1192. It allowed Christian pilgrims to
visit holy places in Jerusalem.
Crusades of the 1200s
The Fourth Crusade started in 1202.
The Crusaders planned to attack the
