The video capturing the moment a giant crocodile devoured one of its own has highlighted the brutality of wildlife.
On August 4, Tammy Shaw, a resident of Port Charlotte, was kayaking in Silver Springs State Park in Florida, USA, when she stumbled upon a horrifying scene.
A massive crocodile was coiled in the water just a short distance from Shaw’s kayak. It was gripping the limp body of another crocodile in its jaws.
Shaw began to observe and record the entire incident. The large crocodile raised its head higher and then slammed its prey down into the water.
The video Shaw shared on social media on August 10 quickly garnered significant attention. Viewers were shocked to witness a crocodile eating another crocodile. “I never knew they would actually eat their own kind,” one commenter wrote.
Adam Rosenblatt, an associate professor of biology at the University of North Florida, who studies American crocodiles, informed Live Science that crocodiles can eat anything, including their own species, if they invade their territory. Notably, large male crocodiles often live solitary lives and are territorial. There is substantial evidence documenting this behavior.
“Crocodiles eat anything they can see within their sight, from mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, crustaceans, snails, and even fruits and seeds,” Adam Rosenblatt stated.
The large crocodile raised its head higher and then slammed its prey down into the water.
Crocodiles are master predators; their hunting strategy typically involves swimming directly towards smaller prey like crabs, shrimp, and fish, swallowing them whole. For larger prey such as pigs and deer, crocodiles will take more time to stalk before striking.
Rosenblatt explained: “They will grab the prey by the head or legs, then pull it under the water to drown it. Crocodiles sometimes also perform the action known as ‘death roll,’ where they roll over and constrict while holding onto their prey, often breaking the neck or legs of the victim. For hard-shelled creatures like turtles, crocodiles use their powerful jaws to crush the turtle’s shell. If the prey is very large, crocodiles will use the death roll to tear it apart.”
Rosenblatt further shared that cannibalism is common among many animal species. For example, lions and chimpanzees are also known to eat their own kind. The act of crocodiles consuming each other has been occurring for millions of years and will likely continue. “There’s no reason to expect its frequency to change in the near future,” Rosenblatt said.
