Crocodiles are territorial and have rather complex social structures, something that is very unusual for reptiles. They tend to hunt and raise hatchlings together. To protect their territory and nests, both the male and female crocodile will chase you until you are at a good distance away from what they are protecting.
"If you are within striking distance, you probably won't know much about it," he says. "Otherwise, they might give you a warning - they'll start hissing at you. The best thing to do then is to back away slowly and not make any sudden movements - an adult croc can run as fast as an adult human."
Size, defenses, and offensive capabilities will matter most in a fight between an unarmed human and a crocodile. On land, humans can outrun crocodiles, but in the water, crocodiles are considerably swifter.
Of the 26 species of crocodilian currently recognised, 8 are known to regularly attack humans. Of these species, attacks by the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), Nile crocodile (C. niloticus), American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), mugger crocodile (C. palustris), the American crocodile (C.
Crocodiles usually hunt by staying submerged and can attack in knee-deep water, so even wading can be dangerous.
If you see you're going to come anywhere close to a crocodilian, make noise by slapping the water with your oars or whistling. Stay away from riverbanks when coming around bends in a river, and make your presence known. Crocodiles or alligators basking on the shore may attack in self-defense if you surprise them.
Never provoke, harass or interfere with crocodiles, even small ones. Never feed crocodiles — it is illegal and dangerous. Be extra vigilant around water at night and during the breeding season from September to April. Avoid approaching the edge of the water and don't paddle or wade at the edge of the water.
Australia has a large population of crocodiles but as the research noted, there are only an average of 1.9 attacks a year.
Pro Tip: If you spot a croc, back away slowly and try not to make sudden movements. Splashing in water will only draw attention. If a crocodile heads your way, run away in a straight line. The myth about moving in a zig-zag motion is just that—a myth.
Just a terrifying reminder that you physically cannot out swim a crocodile even if you tried... You don't need to outrun the crocodile. Just other swimmers!
Big cats like leopards and panthers sometimes kill and eat these big reptiles. Large snakes can also do a lot of damage to alligators and crocodiles.
Attack the animal's eyes.
The eyes of the crocodilian are its most vulnerable part, and several croc-attack survivors have reported eye-gouging as their salvation. Attempt to gouge, kick, or poke the animal in the eye with your hands or whatever you can grab.
"Saltwater crocs have the strongest recorded bite force of any animal on the planet — [the] kind of force can easily crush a human skull," Frost said.
Crocodiles will swallow their food whole if it's small enough but will use their powerful teeth and jaws to crush and break up larger prey or to splinter the hard outer shell of a crab or a turtle. Nile crocodiles like this one will eat buffaloes and occasionally people, although humans are not their natural prey.
In fact, gators are naturally scared of humans. When faced with a human in the wild, an alligator is much more likely to fled the area than become aggressive. Now, this does not mean humans should not be cautious around gators. Feeding them will encourage the alligator to interact and will often result in an attack.
There is one main weakness shared with all crocodilians. the muscles that open their jaws are relatively weak so that a pair of human hands or some duct tape can hold their jaws together. However, when they are able to bite, saltwater crocodiles can bite with the most force ever actually measured for an animal.
Crocodiles are an ancient and fascinating species, but they can also be dangerous if you don't give them the proper respect. They can be found in estuaries and beaches around Tropical North Queensland as well as in rivers, lagoons and swamps hundreds of kilometres from the sea.
So much so that today, in the Northern Territory, there is one crocodile for every inhabitant! There are about 200,000 Saltwater crocodiles in Australia, mostly in areas around Darwin and the Mary River.
Look for safety signs and do not swim in rivers, estuaries, mangrove shores or deep pools. Always seek local advice in your area about crocodiles before boating, fishing and camping.
Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
The species easily claims the title of the most-dangerous crocodilian, since it is widely thought to be responsible for more than 300 attacks on people per year.
The saltwater crocodile underlined its fearsome reputation by being the only species to exhibit agitated tail twitching followed by lunging head strikes on its opponents.
In conclusion, I think that the only animal a crocodile genuinely fears is the hippo. Smaller crocodiles may fear larger ones due to risk of cannibalism but that's pretty explainable. Animals that a crocodile may avoid due to unnecessary risk include elephants, lions, and rhinos.