So I’m currently watching a documentary about New Zealand and they talked about fossils and then said that saltwater crocodile are the closest actual living animals to dinosaures but that’s wrong right ? Isn’t that birds ???

palaeofail-explained:

Well, not entirely. Birds aren’t the closest living relatives of dinosaurs. Birds ARE dinosaurs, and saying they’re the closest living relatives of dinosaurs is a bit like saying dogs are the closest living relatives of mammals. 

Crocodiles are, in fact the closest living relatives to dinosaurs; however, the saltwater croc is not closer than any other crocodilian.