this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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bitey (mander.xyz)
submitted 4 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 41 points 4 weeks ago (4 children)

Every time I picture an alligator biting me I'm like I bet I could wiggle out or like somehow overcome it, because their jaws look so long and flat - like how much strength could they have? Certainly not more than a lion.

Well.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

The closing force is significantly higher than its opening force IIRC. If you can close its mouth without getting bitten it's screwed.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Didn't like everyone watch Steve Irwin do this to massive crocs like all the time.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah, but time marches on and everything. Young people won't know him. Someone said they didn't know who a guy in a picture was the other week. It was Tony Bourdain and I felt old.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

A coworker the other day didn't know there was an animated grinch movie before the Jim Carey one. ಠ╭╮ಠ

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

That was Steve though - he probably knew the croc

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 weeks ago

Just remember these guys can grip an animal the size of a horse with their jaws, overpower it, drag it to the water and rip it apart.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Salt water Crocs are not tiny. Some alligators are on the smallish side comparatively, but there are big gators out there too.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 weeks ago

Crocodiles are also one of those rare animals that don't "age" in the traditional sense. Once they reach adulthood, they continue to get larger and larger until they eventually starve or their organs collapse under their own body weight. They don't lose muscle mass or bone density or any of the usual issues we attribute to getting older.

Imagine having the build of a 25 year old at 100 and being 7+ft tall. That's how crocodiles age.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah I've never seen one in real life, so I feel like like I'm not grokking the sense of scale.

Kind of like seeing a horse or moose for the first time (guess my hemisphere lol).

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Here's a rough size comparison

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah I'm still not getting it. Maybe I'll see one for real one day and then it'll click

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I bet this is peak force is measured at the base of the jaw, meaning the teeth at the tip would exert significantly lower force. So it might be possible to escape a small alligator, I'm not sure.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

There are lots of videos about croc bite force. With scales attached to their jaws and stuff. Shouldnt be hard to find.

This younger one was measured at the base with 820 pounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG7ruzhqB9Y&t=158