Crocodiles are big, have powerful jaws and a mouthful of sharp teeth. Despite this making them fierce predators, crocodiles are not invincible. Find out In this article what crocodiles are afraid of.
What Are Crocodiles Afraid Of?
Crocodiles are afraid of hippos. Crocodiles may weigh up to 900 kg (2,000 lbs), but even they are dwarfed by the average hippo that weighs 3,500 kg (7,700 lbs). Hippos and crocodiles usually share the same water source, and when a crocodile sees a hippo coming, if it has any sense, it gets out of the way.
Hippo Strength
Hippos may look fat, but they actually pack a lot of muscle, making them extremely powerful animals. With their weight, they can easily flatten a crocodile to death.
Also, don’t forget their terrifying mouths. Their teeth continually grow throughout their life, with their canines and incisors being the longest. The canines can reach 50 cm (1.8 ft), with the incisors being 40 cm (1.4 ft). Hippos can open their mouths nearly 150 degrees, meaning adults can open their mouths 0.9 – 1.2 m (3 – 4 ft) wide.
And when you factor in their bite force of 1,800 PSI with just one bite, they can make mincemeat of a crocodile. We’ve all that raw power. It makes you wonder why they are not carnivorous.
Hippos Are Aggressive Animals
To make hippos and even scarier animals, they are highly aggressive. Hippos, on average, kill 500 people a year. So why are hippos so aggressive? It comes down to their territorial behaviour.
Hippos will defend their territory while in the water and on land, not just from other hippos but from crocodiles, elephants and even people in boats.