Giant Crocodiles Show Their Powerful Jaws In Feeding Demonstration

Whenever we think of Crocodiles, we think the worst. They take parts in our craziest nightmares, with their toothy jaws and beady eyes that can make even Superman run for the hills. Unlike them, horses are domesticated animals and can do no harm in our eyes, right? Well, wrong apparently. We easily forget that horses are so powerful that even one kick can send us to our death. These magnificent beasts might have been domesticated, but they will never be fully tamed. Never the less, this story is specifically about Crocodiles.Show more

Crocodiles are fearsome reptiles for very good reason. They are huge animals with massive and incredibly powerful jaws full of sharp teeth. These big crocks are lined up at the edge of a river at a reptile sanctuary. Many populations of crocodiles have been hunted to near extinction for their meat and for their hide. Human encroachment in their habitat and competition for food have decreased their numbers dramatically in the past few decades.

These crocodiles understand that it is feeding time and they know there will be fish coming their way. Guests at this sanctuary are being shown the feeding behavior and they are about to witness firsthand just how powerful their jaws are. Large fish filet are dangled from a pole to demonstrate the impressive size of their jaws. Crocodiles have the strongest bite ever measured.

The crocks remain almost motionless until the meat comes within reach. They snap and lunge at it with surprising speed and agility. The way they tolerate the other crocks climbing over them is also surprising. They are territorial and aggressive animals by nature and fights between the males are common in the wild.

The giant Nile Crocodiles can reach twenty feet in length and can weigh as much as 2,400 pounds. They are the most aggressive of the crocodiles and alligators and they are capable of taking down even a hippo. They have few predators when full grown, although a huge python or anaconda would attempt to eat a younger one.

Crocodiles can easily survive in salt water as well as fresh water, because they have specialized glands for expelling salt. Alligators have a similar gland, but it is non-functioning.

Despite the popular misconception, crocodiles and alligators cannot run faster than a fit human. They are capable of short bursts of speed up to 10 miles per hour, which is not as fast as a motivated human can move.