While both animals are carnivorous ambush predators that sit and wait until the perfect meal comes around, the motivation and method of their attack is much different. Crocodiles attack to kill and will pretty much eat anything. Because of this, it's extremely hard to escape a croc's fearless grip. Sharks, on the other hand, are easier to fight off because they are just as scared of us as we are of them.
If they encounter a human, they'll typically give an exploratory bite and then move on, allowing a window for escape. Sharks are also much less likely to attack humans in general. Of the different species of sharks, only about 30 have reportedly attacked humans. And of these, only about 12 are considered to be dangerous when they encounter humans.
A sand tiger shark swims inside a tank. This difference may stem from the fact that crocodiles are extremely territorial, and will kill any intruders, including humans. Sharks, on the other hand, tend to be loners , roaming the vast ocean in search of food and places to hide.
There's also the fact that crocodiles breathe air, so they can run onto land to snatch an unsuspecting bystander and submerge them underwater to kill them.
Sharks have to rely on their prey already being in the water, a place you're much less likely to be. Crocs can also hide underwater for up to two hours , giving you little notice that they're lurking.
Since crocodiles are more coastal their scales are lighter, muddy or sandy green. Alligators scales are often more blackish rendering them essentially invisible in murky and dark waters. As expert hunters, they are not ever to be underestimated. Not only have they been around longer than us, they have also survived mass extinction three times.
They are the only one of four suborders to have survived to modern times, and their ancestors date back million years. Firstly, on average, crocodiles are much larger than alligators. Adult Nile and Saltwater crocodiles, considered the largest of the species, can be up to 7 meters long and weigh over kg!
In comparison, adult American alligators, which are considered the largest of their species, can grow up to 5 meters. Because crocodiles can thrive in both fresh and saltwater, it means that there are more crocodiles in more places in the world. Crocodiles also live significantly longer than alligators. The average lifespan of a crocodile is 70 — years, whereas the lifespan of an average alligator is anywhere between 30 and 50 years.
So simply because crocodiles live longer, are larger, and can travel farther and wider, they are the more dangerous species. Now both alligators and crocodiles have clashed with the human race violently, but it needs to be said that out of the 23 crocodilian species on earth, only half are considered and danger to humans.
That being said, it is widely agreed that crocodiles are way more aggressive than alligators. Crocodiles are known to attack or strike out just because something is near and might even regularly prey on humans. Where crocodiles spend a lot of time in the water, alligators prefer to sunbathe and lounge near water. They are generally more docile and will only attack when provoked. Wildlife officials documented that between the years and , there were cases of alligators attacking humans.
The documents noted that most of these attacks were caused by people trying to catch or pick up the reptile. The Saltwater crocodile has been dubbed the most aggressive compared to other crocodile species.
Crocodiles are usually quite social creatures and can be quite gentle with each other, even tolerating each other during eating. But Saltwater crocodiles, or salties, are known for being short-tempered. They are easily agitated, will rile themselves up, and swing their heads into other crocodiles like sledgehammers. Especially during mating season, where males fight over the females, it can get quite gruesome to watch how viciously these crocodiles will come at each other.
On average, yes, crocodiles are bigger than alligators. Though I say this with caution because there are only 2 Alligator species, and 13 crocodile species one earth. The smallest alligator 1. But the largest crocodile up to 7 meters is much bigger than the largest alligator up to 4.
Both alligators and crocodiles are incredibly agile, strong, and intelligent hunters, but crocodiles have an upper hand in many areas. Firstly, they are on average much larger than alligators. The Saltwater and Nile crocodiles are the most dangerous, killing hundreds of people each year in parts of South-East Asia and Africa. American alligators, Mugger crocodiles and possibly the endangered Black Caiman, are also very dangerous to humans.
Lock Jaw: Crocodiles are very fast over short distances, even out of water. They have extremely powerful jaws and sharp teeth for tearing flesh, but cannot open their mouth if it is held closed, hence there are stories of people escaping from the long-snouted Nile Crocodile by holding its jaws shut.
Indeed, zoologists will often subdue crocodiles for study or transport by taping their jaws or holding their jaws shut with large rubber bands cut from automobile inner tubes. All large crocodiles also have sharp welters and powerful claws. They have limited lateral movement in their neck, so on land one can find protection by getting even a small tree between the crocodile's jaws and oneself.
Ambush Hunters: Crocodiles are ambush hunters, waiting for fish or land animals to come close, then rushing out to attack. As cold-blooded predators, they can survive long periods without food, and rarely need to actively go hunting. The crocodile's bite strength is up to 3, pounds per square inch, comparing to just psi for a labrador retriever or psi for a large shark. Despite their slow appearance, crocodiles are the top predators in their environment, and various species have been observed attacking and killing lions, large ungulates and even sharks.
Cooperation Nation: A famous exception is the Egyptian Plover which is said to enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the crocodile. According to unauthenticated reports, the plover feeds on parasites that infest the crocodile's mouth and the reptile will open its jaws and allow the bird to enter to clean out the mouth. On the Menu: Crocodiles eat fish, birds, mammals and occasionally smaller crocodiles.
Wild crocodiles are protected in many parts of the world, but they also are farmed commercially.
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