Odds are that you've seen the movie Jaws, and now every time you get into the water
you can't help but feel a bit nervous about what may be lurking unseen around you.
You push these fears out of your mind, try to have fun and enjoy the waves, but you can't
help yourself from looking around once in a while for a tell-tale shark fin.
Yet, it turns out that while you're worried about being attacked by a shark, the sneaky
crocodile you were never expecting is already on his way to eat you.
Every year about five to six people die from shark attacks, while humans kill up to one
hundred million sharks, which basically is the most one-sided war since the French surrender
in World War II.
Yet crocodiles have been regularly making a meal out of humans at a rate two hundred
times greater than sharks, and every year crocodiles and alligators kill an estimated
one thousand people around the world.
Most of these fatalities occur in Africa, though many Floridians and Australians have
also met their end in the jaws of these prehistoric monsters.
And we do mean prehistoric by the way, as sharks and crocodiles are two of the only
known large animal species to be so evolutionarily perfect at their jobs that they haven't evolved
much since the age of the dinosaurs.
Also, while the dinosaurs totally wimped out and died to a measly asteroid the size of
New York City, sharks and crocodiles both pretty much shrugged off the global apocalypse
and survived to terrify future generations of mammals who would take over the world.
Crocodiles are pretty terrifying stuff, and if you've seen our episode Shark vs Crocodile,
who would win?
Then you already know that saltwater crocodiles can grow to be much bigger than even a great
white shark, reaching up to a whopping 20 feet long (6.17 meters) and weigh over 2,000
pounds (1,000 kg).
At those sizes you're no longer dealing with a crocodile, and we don't care what scientists
say here because any reptile that big is a freaking dinosaur.
Scientists actually believe that crocodiles never stop growing, and their maximum life
span is unknown- and its believed that crocodiles simply continue growing until they've grown
so large that they can no longer hunt successfully, or simply succumb to disease.
As if size wasn't enough, crocodiles also have the greatest bite strength of any animal
in the world, with the Nile crocodile clocking in at an astonishing 5,000 pounds per square
inch, which is almost 3000% more powerful than your measly bite.
Saltwater crocodiles, which grow to be the biggest in the world, thankfully have a lower
bite strength of around 3,700 pounds per square inch.
That's thanks to the massive concentration of jaw muscles crocs have, which is critical
for an ambush predator that needs to ensure it can grip prey and never let go.
After all, crocs don't have hands... at least not yet.
We're sure evolution is working on this though since mother nature is apparently dead set
on making crocodiles the most terrifying animal in history, so don't be surprised if crocs
in the future get opposable thumbs and learn to use guns.
So what happens if one of these prehistoric killers decides to make you its next snack?
How can you survive a crocodile attack?
Well, we have to be honest with you and just say that if you're attacked in the water,
things aren't going to go well for you at all.
If a crocodile happens to snatch you while you're swimming, or just standing knee deep
in water, odds are incredibly low you're going to escape with your life.
If you saw our previous video on Gustave the killer crocodile then you're already aware
that this massive beast would regularly snatch fishermen who were only in water up to their
knees, and drag them away before they could react.
In water crocodiles are incredibly fast, and that's thanks to their massive tail and its
powerful muscles.
With a single flick a crocodile can push itself off a sandbar and into deeper water, and given
how powerful those jaw muscles are there's likely little you'll be able to do about it.
On land crocodiles are much slower, though some species and smaller members are capable
of surprisingly quick and short sprints, so don't get into the habit of taunting a land-bound
crocodile, because if you get too close it can and will snatch you up.
The reason why survival is so unlikely if you're attacked in water is simply down to
two quirks of crocodilian hunting behavior.
This may be surprising to hear, but crocodiles actually don't use those massive jaws to kill,
simply to maintain their grip on prey.
Crocodiles are actually incapable of chewing, so while a shark will come in for a bite and
then shear chunks of flesh off of you, a crocodile will latch on once and then dive down deep.
Since a croc can't kill you with its jaws, it instead tries to drown you, so as soon
as you're attacked, the crocodile is going to dive down as deep as it can go and then
hold you there.
If you do manage to start successfully fighting back though, some crocs will simply decide
that better than losing their prey entirely, they'll simply take what they can.
This will have the crocodile begin a feeding behavior known as a death roll, and it is
basically exactly what it sounds like.
The crocodile maintains its grip on the prey and then simply uses its powerful muscles
to twist around over and over again, eventually shearing off large chunks of flesh.
Crocodiles in danger of losing their prey have been known to engage in this behavior,
and we don't have to tell you that this isn't going to end very well for you or your limbs.
So the first step in surviving an attack is to simply avoid it altogether.
Never go swimming in unfamiliar areas, or places that have been marked as unsafe for
swimmers.
No, ignoring that no swimming sign isn't going to make you look like a cool rebel that society
can't keep down, it's just going to turn you into gator bait.
Crocodiles and alligators tend to live around the tropical areas of the world, so make sure
if you visit or live in these areas that you always stay within designated safe swimming
zones.
And if you live in Australia the best way to avoid a crocodile attack is to simply never
leave the house- seriously, Australia is a madhouse of all the world's deadliest animals
and insects, and human beings have no business living there, so just stay indoors and upload
your consciousness to the matrix, where the wildlife can't get to you.
You should always be careful when around habitat that crocodiles inhabit.
This means any swampy or marshy area, and can include lakes, ponds, rivers, estuaries,
canals, and even swimming pools as many Floridians regularly discover.
You'll usually find crocs in slow-moving water that has a lot of mud and vegetation, which
provides the perfect opportunity for an ambush predator like a crocodile to attack from.
However, saltwater crocodiles aren't so named for nothing, and they can be found on ocean
beaches and even in open water.
If you're canoeing or on a boat, don't assume that you're safe, as crocodiles have been
known to overturn boats and even snatch people right off a boat and drag them into the water.
Lastly, try and avoid the water near dusk or at night, because this is when crocodiles
are most active, though remember that they can and do strike during day time as well.
If you do notice a crocodile however, or if you perhaps happen to fall into water with
crocodiles in it, try your best to remain calm.
Crocodiles are naturally attracted to small animals splashing in water, so you want to
swim as quickly, but as quietly and calmly as possible back to shore while causing as
little disturbance in the water as you can manage.
Staying under the water is even better, as it'll reduce the amount of splash you make
as you swim.
Don't become panicky as you swim, and do your best to remain calm- crocodiles like many
predators are surprisingly wary animals.
If prey seems uninjured or unafraid, it often gives many predators second thoughts about
launching an attack.
After all, they have evolved hunting prey that shows fear, and a prey item that shows
a distinct lack of fear is often enough to shake a predator's confidence in launching
an attack.
This might seem silly, but from the animal's point of view, hunting is an incredibly risky
activity- any stray wound could possibly lead to infection and be fatal, any injury could
prevent the animal from hunting, as could damage to its teeth and claws.
If the animal can't hunt, it'll starve to death, and thus predators are surprisingly
risk-averse creatures.
If you remain calm and collected, there's a chance a prowling crocodile might decide
that you are more trouble than you're worth.
If you happen to run into a crocodile on land though, once more remain calm, and then slowly
walk backwards.
Again, staying calm might deter an attack, but trying to make a panicked run for it will
typically trigger the hunt response in most predators- at that point you're doing exactly
what its prey has always done and the predator pretty much figures that you're no different
and pose little threat.
A confident animal however is an animal to be feared, and the crocodile might figure
that you have some defenses or strength it's not aware of.
If however the crocodile does snap or start to charge you, now it's time to run as fast
as you can.
You might have heard that you should run in a zig-zag pattern because crocodiles can't
zig-zag very well, and this is true, they really can't, but this also makes you much
slower and if the crocodile is smart enough to stay on a straight trajectory, it'll outrun
you.
On land crocodiles can top out at around 10 miles an hour (17 kph), and you'll be able
to outrun that no problem if you simply run straight.
If a croc nabs you though, then it's time to fight back- and fight hard.
Crocodiles are covered in a thick armor plating of hard scales, and underneath that is nothing
but thick muscle.
Even if you have a knife, you're simply not going to do much damage to a crocodile, and
they have been known to resist even high caliber bullets such as those from a 7.62mm rifle.
Instead, you're going to want to go for the first obvious vulnerable spot on the crocodile,
which are the eyes.
While a croc's eyes are protected by a nictitating membrane that protects it from water debris,
it won't be enough to prevent you from placing a well-aimed eye gouge.
If your hands are free and you can reach, the best thing to do is to dig your fingers
as deep into its eyes as you can manage, though even just kicking at the eyes has been known
to get crocodiles to let go.
Again, crocodiles as any other predator don't want to risk permanent damage in a single
hunt, it's just not worth it, and if the crocodile is afraid of losing its eyesight, it'll more
often than not let go.
Gouging or kicking at the eyes has saved many lives in the past.
If you can't quite reach the eyes though, then concentrate on striking the top of the
head, closer to where the jaws begin.
If you're a bystander in a crocodile attack, grab a stick, or even just use your fists,
and wail away at the crocodile's head.
Like any animal, crocodiles don't much like having their bell rung.
Let's say the worst has come to pass though, and now the animal has you under the water.
It's now waiting for you to drown, and your best chance to survive the attack at this
point will be to return the favor.
Crocodiles have a structure in the back of the mouth just behind the tongue known as
the palatal valve.
This is a flap of tissue which completely covers their throats when they submerge, so
that the animal can still have prey in its jaws and not drown itself by having water
pour down its throat.
You're going to ignore how terrifying it will be to reach even deeper into the mouth of
the animal, and feel for this flap of tissue, then simply strike it or grab at it.
Puncturing it or even moving it out of place will be enough to start to cause water to
flow down the croc's throat, and this will automatically trigger the crocodile to let
go of you so it doesn't drown.
There you have it, our easy to follow steps on how to survive a crocodile attack.
Now there's only one thing to do- get out there and test them!
Just kidding, seriously, follow our advice and stay out of water in the wild.
If you're longing for the beach just throw some sand in your tub and splash around in
it, because nobody has ever been attacked by a crocodile in their own bathtub.
How would you try to survive a croc attack?
Have you ever known someone who was attacked by a crocodile or alligator?
Why do humans continue to taunt mother nature's wrath by living in Australia?
Let us know in the comments section, and as usual if you enjoyed this video don't forget
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