Saltwater crocodile vs great white shark. Crocodile vs shark

In the debate about who is stronger - a shark or a crocodile, there is no consensus. Some believe that the ocean dweller has the advantage. Others argue that the amphibious monster fights better, and therefore wins fights more often.

The tactic of a shark in a fight with a crocodile is to drag it under water so that the enemy suffocates

The Great White is the largest among its relatives. She is armed with sharp teeth up to 5 cm long, strong and very dangerous. The length of the giant body can reach 7 m, and the weight - 3 tons. Despite such characteristics, this predator is not the most vicious. Bull sharks take the lead in this matter.

How strong is a crocodile

In a fight with a shark, a crocodile will try to turn it over on its back in order to tear its throat and soft belly with its teeth.

The saltwater crocodile is considered the largest and most aggressive living reptile on Earth. The size of adult individuals reaches 6–7 m in length, and such a monster weighs about 1 ton. They love shark meat, so residents of coastal villages use it as bait for crocodiles.

Who will win the fight

The benefits of shark include:

• high speed and ability to maneuver;
• massive and strong body;
• the ability to be underwater for a long time.

The crocodile, in addition to a set of sharp teeth, boasts armored skin that even a shark has difficulty biting through. If the fight drags on, the reptile risks suffocation and will be forced to unclench its jaws. However, the amphibious monster defeats smaller relatives of the white predator without difficulty.

Fights between a shark and a crocodile have been officially recorded off the coast of Northern Australia, with crocodiles winning more than once

Expert Alistair Lyon, for a long time who worked with crocodiles, claims that when a tiger shark and a combed giant meet, the latter will win. However, he believes that the chances of real conflict between these creatures are minimal, since territorial aggression, which could be the cause, is unlikely.

American zoologist James Nifong from Kansas studied some of the facts of collisions between sharks and crocodiles, and came to the conclusion that sea ​​predators I rarely attack reptiles. But crocodiles are more aggressive and periodically injure their rivals, depriving them of their fins.

Stories and videos periodically appear on the Internet about how a crocodile was defeated by a shark. This is possible, but when an adult reptile enters the fight, it has every chance of winning.

Let's try to reproduce the model of a battle between two predatory titans - a shark and a crocodile. Both of these creatures have inspired horror and fear in humans for a long time. What does the relationship between them look like? Who has a better chance of winning in the event of a bloody fight?

It is clear that any modeling, especially with the help of imagination, does not entirely objectively allow one to assess the capabilities of the parties to the fight. And even more so, one cannot draw unambiguous conclusions when considering an imaginary battle between fierce and strong opponents, when the outcome of the fight can be decided by chance. Therefore, let’s not forget that the fight is virtual, and to assert based on its outcome that one of the opponents is undoubtedly stronger will not be entirely fair.
Our knowledge of these large predatory animals will serve as the basis for our logical constructions.

On the shark side, the great white shark will perform in the duel, since it is the largest of the aggressive predators, the recognized leader in the power of weapons and danger. We must assume that readers of the site already know enough about the great white shark. This big fish, reaching a length of more than 7 m and a weight of over 3 tons. The officially registered size records for the great white shark are somewhat more modest, but one must assume that not all particularly large specimens make it onto the scales of researchers and scientists.
The main weapon of this predator is sharp teeth, the length of which reaches 5 cm.

Which member of the crocodile family can resist such an effective killing machine?

There is only one contender for this role - who feels great in sea ​​water and reaches large sizes. For those who have not heard about this monster, here is some brief information:

The saltwater crocodile is the largest representative of the crocodile family in the class of reptiles (reptiles). It is believed that some of its individuals can reach 7 m in length and weigh more than a ton.
This toothy monster lives in the Malay Archipelago, from the south-eastern regions of Asia to the north of Australia. It can be found both on coastal land and in the sea, since the saltwater crocodile is able to live in sea water and even travel between islands. Thanks to their ability to navigate, according to experts, these predators were able to spread from the Indian subcontinent and Indochina to Australia.
Saltwater crocodiles got their name from the presence of two large ridges on their heads, stretching from the eyes to the middle of the head.
The teeth and mouth of a crocodile can instill fear in any living creature. It is believed that the force with which a crocodile clenches its jaws can reach 2 tons! In the regions where this reptile monster lives, people die from its teeth. more people than due to shark attacks.
The mobility of this predator is amazing - at the moment of attack it is capable of developing lightning-fast attacks at a speed of more than 40 km/h! Residents of places where large crocodiles live claim that the toothy monster is capable of snatching a person out of a boat so quickly that the comrades nearby do not always have time to notice it.
As you can see, our heroine’s opponent is quite worthy - strong, fast, with powerful jaws.

The remains of small sharks were often found in the stomachs of crocodiles, and the remains of crocodiles were found in the digestive tract of large sharks.



Let's try to estimate the chances of winning in an imaginary fight between a great white shark and an adult saltwater crocodile, especially since meetings at sea between these two predators are quite real.
The main advantages of a shark are high speed and maneuverability, a more massive body and the ability to stay under water indefinitely, since it is a fish.

Crocodiles can't long time remain without a breath of air - their circulatory system uses atmospheric oxygen to oxidize the blood. And their main advantage over a shark is the armored skin of their back, which is difficult for even a shark to bite through. But if the battle drags on, and it, of course, cannot be fleeting during a battle of giants, even a crocodile that has captured a shark with its teeth will be forced to open its jaws and float to the surface. He will not be able to quickly kill a shark with his teeth - the prey is too large, and also extremely tenacious, so he will soon need a saving breath of air. When surfacing, the reptile will expose its vulnerable belly to the shark’s teeth, which will decide the outcome of the fight. Of course, with the same size, the crocodile will lose the fight.

Such fights between predators of equal size sometimes take place. There are also eyewitness accounts of similar fights. In most cases, they followed exactly this scenario.

The conclusion is clear - big White shark will not leave the saltwater crocodile a chance to survive. However, the same can be said about other large species of sharks - tiger, mako. If they are as large as a reptile, then advantages such as the ability to breathe underwater, combined with powerful teeth and agility, decide the outcome of a bloody battle.

Of course, in a real fight between titans, success in the battle depends on many circumstances - the surprise of the attack, a successful lunge or bite, etc. But in our virtual simulation we adhered to equal conditions for opponents - like for boxers before the gong signal

Saltwater crocodiles live in seas that are not favored by great white sharks. These predators prefer cool waters temperate latitudes, where sea pinnipeds are found in abundance. Therefore, fights between crocodiles and small tiger sharks, as well as representatives of the gray and reef shark families, are more likely. Such opponents are significantly inferior in strength large crocodile, therefore they often become victims of adult reptiles.

We present to your attention a video from the popular science channel Discovery, in which scientists and experts simulated a fight between two aquatic titans - a saltwater crocodile and a great white shark. After watching it, you will see that many aspects of this film do not contradict the analyses, reflections and conclusions given above. By the way, the author of the article about the fight between a crocodile and a shark did not watch this video before publishing his article.


Relatively small species of sharks are common prey for crocodiles. Saltwater crocodiles, being the largest modern reptiles and having a tendency to stay in brackish water, and even go on long sea voyages, they were sometimes noticed in predation towards fairly large sand and bull sharks that live in coastal waters and can even swim into rivers.

Nile crocodiles also prey on bull and sand sharks in the Zambezi River and Lake St. Lucia. Lemon sharks avoid areas where sharp-snouted crocodiles live, reacting to chemical compounds released by them. And although all these sharks are usually much smaller than large crocodiles, there are references to crocodiles being able to kill sharks close to their own size. In one such case, young Nile crocodile killed a large bull shark, and in another, a 3-meter saltwater crocodile threw a 2.1-meter shark, approximately equal in weight to itself, above the water, and then tore it into pieces.

Meetings more large species sharks and crocodiles are relatively rare, since they prefer absolutely different places a habitat. However, tiger sharks, which sometimes hunt in coastal waters or even estuaries, can encounter crocodiles. Yellow Waters staff reported finding the remains of a 4.6m tiger shark in the estuary, killed and partially eaten by a saltwater crocodile. A saltwater crocodile has been observed eating a tiger shark on a Townsville beach.

It is believed that tiger sharks avoid the habitat of saltwater crocodiles, possibly due to similar feeding preferences. So, saltwater crocodiles off Cape York Peninsula in Australia, have an instructive saying among divers and boaters: "don't worry about the tiger sharks, the saltwater crocodiles have already eaten them." Although, on the other hand, in Dubai, South Africa, a 4.3 meter tiger shark was caught whose stomach contents included the remains of the head and forelimbs of an unidentified approximately 2.5 meter long crocodile. However, this find is considered to be the result of eating carrion.

Norman Caldwell described the murder case as very big shark(weighing about 900 pounds) by a hungry crocodile; According to the author, after a stubborn struggle, the crocodile pulled the exhausted shark ashore and ate off the tail of its victim, leaving the rest to decompose in the fetid mud. In another case, a fight was observed between a shark and a crocodile off the coast of Madagascar, as a result of which the shark managed to fight back and bite off part of the crocodile’s tail, which was immediately lassoed and pulled out of the water by the sailors, thereby stopping the fight. There is a report of a saltwater crocodile killing a mako shark in the waters near Kakadu National Park. In the intertidal zones of northern Australia, especially near river mouths, some scars on the bodies of young saltwater crocodiles have been identified as possible marks from the teeth of sharks, suggesting frequent aggressive interactions between these animals.

In addition, there is fairly reliable information about the killing of an approximately 5.5 meter female white shark by a very large, approximately 6 meter saltwater crocodile in 1939. As a result of this encounter, the crocodile turned the shark on its back, tore out its skull and severed its neck using a lethal spin. Moreover, Australian fishermen at the beginning of the 20th century claimed that this had been observed more than once. Author and journalist Peter Hanhawk described a "huge lizard" that entered the ocean and killed a great white shark. There is a fairly high probability that the described "megalania" was actually a saltwater crocodile. On the other hand, a small 1.2-1.5 meter Australian freshwater crocodile was found in the stomach of a 4.9 m white shark caught in Queensland.

Comparative characteristics
Different species of sharks and crocodiles have different sizes. White sharks usually reach 3.9-4.8 m in length, weighing 680-1100 kg, tiger sharks usually have a length of 3.25-4.25 m, weighing 385-635 kg, bull sharks have an average length of 2.3 up to 2.4 m with a weight of 90-130 kg. And at the same time, female sharks of these species are, as a rule, larger than males.

In crocodiles, as a rule, the opposite is true - males are much larger and stronger than females. Male saltwater crocodiles usually reach approximately 4.3-5.2 m in length and weigh between 400 and 1000 kg, while females range from 2.3 to 3 m and weigh no more than 40-100 kg. Male Nile crocodiles are typically 4 to 5 meters long and weigh 300-600 kg, while females are 2.2 to 3.8 m long and weigh 40 to 250 kg. The length of adult males of sharp-snouted crocodiles in continental rivers throughout most of their range ranges from 2.9 to 4 m, and females - from 2.5 to 3 m, while on islands and coasts they are much smaller - for example, in coastal zone Belizean adults weigh only 77.8 kg.

Armament
The saltwater crocodile has the potential to have the strongest bite in the animal kingdom. The estimated jaw compression force of a large male saltwater crocodile weighing 1308 kg is from 27531 to 34424 newtons, which is equivalent to a gravity force of 2809.3-3512.7 kg. The greatest practical result was obtained when measuring the jaw pressure of a 4.59 m 531 kg male saltwater crocodile - 16414 N, or approximately 1675 kg. Thus, this is the second strongest bite measured in any animal in the laboratory. The first place here is certainly occupied by the pressure of 2268 kg, issued by a more than 5-meter Nile crocodile when measured by Brady Barr. The length of the largest teeth in the mouth of a 4.8 m combed crocodile reaches 9 cm, the total number of teeth in real crocodiles is 64-68, in alligators - 74-80, in gharials - up to a hundred. The teeth of crocodiles are not designed to cut meat, but given their monstrous bite force and physical strength, this is not a disadvantage - with its jaws a crocodile can easily cut through the skin, muscles and even bones of a large animal, like an ax.

As for the white shark, its jaw clenching force is relatively small. However, given the structure of the teeth and the mechanism of the bite, these sharks do not need to have a very powerful bite. In 2008, a simulation was carried out that allowed the power of shark jaws to be assessed. It was found that the bite force of a white shark 2.5 m long and weighing 240 kg could reach 3131 N, while for a shark 6.4 m long and weighing 3324 kg it would be 18216 N. The bull shark has a relatively significantly higher powerful jaws than the white one - one individual bit the sensor with a force of about 6000 N. The teeth of the white shark reach 5 cm in length and have serrated edges, which make it possible to cut off pieces of soft fat and meat from the victim with some efficiency. Their total number is up to 300. Some other sharks have similar adaptations for feeding on relatively large animals. But it is highly unlikely that a shark's jaws can handle the tough skin of a crocodile.

Temperament
In general, crocodiles are significantly more aggressive animals than sharks, usually more prone to conflict of any kind.

Saltwater crocodiles are considered the most aggressive crocodiles - the most asocial modern representatives of their squad, known for brutal territorial battles. Among large species of crocodiles, Cuban crocodiles, which dominate larger sharp-snouted crocodiles in nature and in captivity, and Nile crocodiles also have a high level of aggression. Contrary to popular misconception, size is not the most important factor. important role in crocodile conflicts, as opposed to experience and aggression.

Among sharks, bull sharks are considered the most aggressive. Mako sharks and some smaller shark species can also be aggressive. There is a known case in which a mako shark chased away a great white shark. Typically, social hierarchy among sharks is based on the size of specific individuals, and larger females tend to dominate males.

The great white shark is the largest predatory fish, reaching a length of 6 meters, and weighs up to 2 tons. Is the strongest poisonous fish. This predator owes its name to white color abdominal part of the body, with a broken border on the sides separated from the dark back. In addition to its very large size, the great white shark has also acquired sad famous fame a merciless cannibal due to numerous attacks on swimmers, divers and surfers. The great white shark is the only surviving species of its genus Carcharodon. The body of the great white shark is spindle-shaped, streamlined, like most sharks - active predators. A large, conical head with medium-sized eyes located on it and a pair of nostrils, to which small grooves lead, increasing the flow of water to the shark’s olfactory receptors. The mouth is very wide, armed with sharp teeth triangular shape with notches on the sides. With such teeth, like an ax, the shark easily cuts off pieces of flesh from its prey.The diet mainly consists of marine mammals. In addition, it hunts a variety of fish and seabirds.

Locations and causes of collisions

The saltwater crocodile and the white shark are native to Australia. There have been cases of saltwater crocodiles swimming hundreds of kilometers from the coast, and at such a distance there are great white sharks. The reasons for their clashes may turn out to be hunger. However, in nature there will be no fight, since the shark will be afraid to attack the crocodile, and a crocodile does not fight in the open sea. Small sharks primarily view the saltwater crocodile as a potential threat. This is the most famous fight, and here we can only guess by studying the weak and strengths both opponents.

Known conflicts:

1. There was a case where a huge saltwater crocodile killed a bull shark. The Briton managed to film everything. Peter Jones, 62, was on a river cruise in national park Cockatoos in the Northern Territory of Australia. The steamboat came across a bull shark, which was being chewed by a saltwater crocodile. Seeing that he was being watched, the crocodile went under the water along with his prey.

2. There was a case where a huge 5-meter saltwater crocodile tore a 3-meter bullish shark, not sixgill (wrong translation).

3. There was a case where the head of a 3.5 meter crocodile lay on the shore. Nobody knows who it is, but there is evidence that it was a white shark that did it. This evidence about a shark is very unlikely, because any shark actually does not have enough strength to bite through all the bones that were in the crocodile, and the shark simply cannot accommodate this entire part of the Nile crocodile. However, first of all, it was Nile crocodile, and Nile crocodiles live only in Africa, They have never, in the entire history, been found in salty waters, from where the head of the Nile crocodile swam ashore. So the most likely evidence in this battle was poachers, not a shark. But despite the fact that this evidence is very unlikely, we decided to show this case. On the site where this will be described, there will be an incredible exaggeration of the white shark, because the head of the Nile crocodile, which lived in Africa, could not get into salty waters, and it was a Nile crocodile, not a saltwater one as stated on the website.

4. There was a case where a saltwater crocodile easily coped with a bull shark of almost equal size. Below is an excerpt from the documentary "Invasion of the Crocodiles", where this fight was filmed. In the same documentary film the quality is much better.

5. There was a case where a saltwater crocodile easily killed a white shark of almost equal size. In this case, the crocodile used killer whale tactics. “The 20-foot crocodile grabbed the shark by the throat and began a “deadly rollover.” Once upside down, the shark could no longer do anything.
A saltwater crocodile tore off the throat and head of a great white shark with its jaws." It also described a case where a crocodile also killed a tiger shark. A link to this double case is given below in the source.

Main mistakes when comparing

The fact is that a saltwater crocodile holds its breath for 2 hours (with active movement for 30 minutes), and this is much longer than the entire fight lasts. Therefore, a crocodile cannot come to the surface specifically for oxygen. But if the crocodile swims for oxygen, then no matter what it is, the shark will not be able to attack it due to the sensitivity of the crocodile. The crocodile will simply dodge. Therefore, do not believe "Beast Battles", they have such an impossible fiction that a black bear can turn over a Mississippi alligator.

Let's study the weaknesses of our opponents:

Shark: belly, fins, gills, cowardice, tail, fragile teeth, nose.

Crocodile: belly, endurance, poor teeth adhesion.

Advantages:

Shark: endurance, feeding frenzy, sharp teeth, speed, tactics, camouflage.

Crocodile: aggression, jaw power and bite, agility, armor, reaction, vitality, muscle grouping.

Animal comparison

1. Size - approximately equal

Crocodiles grow up to 6.7 meters, and white sharks approach this size and grow up to 6.1 meters. The choice is obvious, a crocodile is longer than a shark.

2. Weight - per shark

White sharks (record) weigh up to 2 tons, which is more than saltwater crocodiles weigh (record) - 1635 kg. So, weight is a shark's advantage.

3. Durability - for a crocodile

Crocodiles have "armor" that protects them from many things. After all, his armor consists of bone plates. Whether a white shark bites through a crocodile's armor or not, armor is still a very useful defense for a crocodile. Also, the shark has a little armor. It saves her in a small way; if you stroke a shark against the fur, you will feel like you are stroking sandpaper. Of course, armor helps a crocodile better.

4. Speed ​​- for the shark

Sharks are very fast, judging by their armor and movements. The crocodile is less adapted to swimming, because it does not spend its entire life in water. Even to breathe, a shark needs to be constantly in motion, so there’s no need to think about speed.

5. Fins - for a crocodile

The fact is that a shark has fins, but a crocodile does not, but if you think logically, then the fins in a fight with a crocodile will only interfere with the shark, and become another vulnerable spot.

6. Jaw - for a crocodile

7. Sensitivity - approximately equal

Crocodiles have hundreds of tiny receptors on their bodies that detect splashes of water at a distance of about 100 meters, and the approach of prey, including fish, at a certain distance. Crocodiles also have nerve cells between their horny scutes that sense the approach of their prey at a distance of a kilometer or more. The shark has a lateral line, which is more sensitive than all the sensitive organs of the crocodile. However, this will not benefit her. If a shark senses a crocodile before it does, then when it swims up to it, the crocodile itself will feel it, even if it does not notice it with its vision.

8. Tail - for a crocodile

Saltwater crocodiles break a canoe in half with a blow of their tail, and sharks swim only thanks to their tail, especially since a shark’s tail can become a vulnerable point, because with a bite a crocodile can easily break a shark’s tail.

9. Muscle mass - for a shark

The fact is that sharks move throughout their lives, even in their sleep. And crocodiles often pretend to be motionless. It is not surprising that 600 kg. a crocodile is 4 meters in size, has 400 kg of muscle mass out of 600 kg. But since the shark is always on the move, it gains more muscle mass.

10. Skeleton - for a crocodile

A shark has a cartilaginous skeleton, while a crocodile has a bone skeleton. This gives him a significant advantage in many ways, including bite force. The fact that cartilage provides an advantage to flexibility will not play any role in the fight.

11. Gills - for a crocodile

12. Vitality - for a crocodile

Crocodiles are pierced through with spears, but crocodiles survive this and heal their wounds. Even if the crocodile is completely skinned, the crocodile can live for 2 - 3 hours. When they tear off each other's limbs, then their pace does not slow down: his perfect circulatory system blocks the access of blood to the damaged area, eliminating the possibility of severe blood loss. Sharks at that time were also very tenacious - they suffered very severe wounds on their gills from their relatives, and survived with their fins slightly torn off. But this vitality is small for a crocodile.

13. Disguise - as a shark

Shark coloring blends with the water in the open sea, unlike crocodile coloring. At that time, it will be easy for the shark to notice the crocodile, thanks to its dark coloring, and the very lateral line of the shark. But the crocodile itself can also feel it with receptors, however, in the worst case, not see the shark. In addition, the shark camouflages itself in the depths and attacks from the depths, which can help the shark during a fight.

14. Reaction - for the crocodile

Crocodiles have super-fast myosin: the slightest touch to sensitive organs causes a lightning-fast response. Super-fast myosin was also found in the shark, but it is very slow for a crocodile.

15. Teeth clinging - for a shark

A shark has sharper teeth, a crocodile has dumber teeth. That’s why a crocodile doesn’t grip its teeth well on its victim, and when a shark bites a victim, its teeth literally dig into the victim. Due to the fact that the crocodile has a longer jaw, it slips off the victim more often.

16. Nose - like a crocodile

The fact is that a shark's nose is very sensitive and is a vulnerable spot. The shark will not be able to do anything to the crocodile's nose at that time.

So who will win the most? formidable predators Australia, great white shark or saltwater crocodile? The choice is obvious: in the maximum sizes, and in the same sizes, the crocodile will certainly win. Whether in shallow water or in the open sea, a shark always has one unlikely chance - to bite a crocodile on the side. A crocodile has many chances, for example, it can gnaw off a shark’s fins, or break its tail, it can also easily rip open its belly, or it can even tear off its jaw, or in any case, just bite its skull. Well, a crocodile can simply injure a shark’s gills, and the shark will not live long after that. Well, besides,the crocodile's muscle grouping is more perfect than the shark's; if in a fish all the muscle work is aimed at jerking its head and moving forward, then in a crocodile - muscle mass distributed, giving him a large sample of movements. That’s why a lightning-fast 180-degree turn is why a shark performs it more slowly, taking several movements, while a crocodile does it in one go.

Conclusion: a crocodile has a great advantage over a shark in any element.

Let's try to imagine what the battle will be like in reality.

Regular length anacondas about 5 meters. But they say that they came across specimens of 10 and 12 meters. True, this is not documented. Its weight is about 100 kilograms. It leads a predominantly aquatic lifestyle and hunts waterfowl and may eat a turtle or some reptile.

Pythons generally similar in size to the anaconda. The largest python is the reticulated python. It has a length of up to 9 meters and a weight of up to 100 kilograms. But as usual, according to rumors, there were snakes bigger size. They feed on monkeys, small ungulates, rodents and reptiles.

Crocodile cold-blooded animal, its body temperature is about 30 degrees, sometimes it can reach 34 degrees, it depends on the temperature environment. Animal world crocodiles are very diverse, but the species differ only body length, there are reptiles up to 6 meters, but most are 2-4 m.

The largest saltwater crocodiles weigh more than a ton and have a length of up to 6.5 m, they are found in the Philippines. The smallest land crocodiles, 1.5-2 m, live in Africa. Under water, the crocodile's ears and nostrils close with valves, transparent eyelids fall over the eyes, thanks to them the animal sees well even in muddy water.

If crocodiles and snakes live close to each other, then meetings between them are inevitable. Which of them is stronger? Let's consider several cases.

Python and crocodile. A medium-sized python attacked a large crocodile. He grabbed the crocodile's upper jaw, for which he immediately paid. The crocodile grabbed the python and held it tightly in its mouth. The python wrapped itself around him and began to squeeze him, perhaps he would have completed the job, but the crocodile got ahead of him by biting him with his sharp teeth. Python miscalculated his strength and paid for it.

Crocodile and anaconda. Giant anaconda I noticed a small crocodile and dived into the dark water of the Amazon. The crocodile also noticed the snake and tried to escape, but he failed. In an unequal battle, the anaconda squeezes the crocodile in a deadly embrace. and then swallows it whole.

The anaconda always acts as a hunter and even if it comes across a large crocodile, it can strangle it by wrapping itself around the reptile’s body. But circumstances may not be in her favor. So who is stronger, a crocodile or an anaconda? And what do you think? Write your opinion in the comments.