Crocodiles are deadly creatures, and if you see one walking toward you, then you probably want to get out of its way. Too bad freshly hatched baby crocodiles didn’t get the memo! A viral video showed a mama crocodile snatching up her babies in what looks like a gruesome gesture, but it’s actually one born out of fierce protection.
In a video by Lion Mountain TV, shared to YouTube, a massive mama crocodile moves slowly along the sandy bank of a river toward her babies. They break out of their shells quickly, looking only slightly bigger than lizards. As they walk toward their mother, something shocking happens — she suddenly opens her huge jaw and gently snaps it shut around the baby croc. Wait, what?! Yes, she just snapped her baby in her mouth like it was a piece of pizza! From there, she leans her head over and catches another baby croc in her mouth and then heads to the water nearby. She goes for a swim with the baby crocs still in her clutches. Although it may look alarming — almost as if she is eating her young — she is actually protecting them and carrying them safely as she swims. Don’t worry, she’s not actually eating her babies.
Eventually, the mama croc opens her mouth underwater, allowing her hatchlings to swim out. Later, we see the two babies hanging out in shallow water. They even learn to hunt by themselves, snatching up a grasshopper to munch on in the clip. Many animals grab their young to transport them to safety (like mother cats who bite the backs of their kittens’ necks to carry them), but seeing an animal seemingly envelop its young entirely in its mouth is unique. It’s pretty effective, though!
“Just because something look[s] terrifying doesn’t mean they [have] no heart,” one person commented. Especially in the animal kingdom!
Crocodile Reproduction
Crocodiles will lay between 17 and 100 eggs after mating.
©Photostock by Leonardo Em/Shutterstock.com
During mating season, crocodiles will attract the attention of mates by touching snouts, rubbing necks, blowing bubbles, and resting on each other’s backs, per BBC Wildlife. They will also call each other. When a female is ready, she will assume a submissive posture, and the male will mount her underwater. Afterward, it takes about 3 weeks for the female to lay eggs, although it could take longer.
Depending on the species, female crocs will lay between 17 and 100 eggs, with dwarf crocodiles laying fewer eggs and Nile crocodiles laying more. She will lay her eggs in a nest made of soil and leaves in an area near permanent water sources. They’ll dig a hole or build protective barriers to keep the eggs safe in areas prone to flooding.
The incubation period usually lasts around 3 months. Mama crocs are protective (as we’ve seen in the video above) and will stay near their nests to protect eggs from predators. Usually, around the rainy season, hatchlings will emerge from their eggs, using a special egg tooth to help chip away at the shell and get out. Sometimes the mother crocodile will pick up the egg in her mouth to help it crack.
Life as Hatchlings
Crocodile hatchlings are ready to survive on their own almost immediately after emerging from their eggs.
©Agus_Gatam/Shutterstock.com
Once crocodiles hatch, they have a high mortality rate. Studies have found that hatchling survival rates can vary widely, with some populations experiencing rates as low as 16% and others as high as 25% or more, depending on species and environmental conditions (which is why it’s good females lay so many eggs).
The newborn crocs can begin to fend for themselves almost immediately, making them a precocial species. But because they are so small, their mother will stay close by to protect them from harm. After emerging from the eggs, the mama will carry her baby in a throat pouch located beneath her teeth to get to the water quickly and safely. However, some species, like Gharials, don’t have these throat pouches, so their hatchlings will climb onto their mother’s back to reach the water.
Hatchlings will grow between 60 and 110 teeth, depending on the crocodile species, and will replace each tooth an average of 50 times in their lives. Talk about a lot of visits from the tooth fairy! They lose and regrow teeth more often in their first three months of life.
These apex predators are carnivores and will eat small mammals, birds, fish, bugs, frogs, reptiles, and crustaceans. Some larger crocodiles will eat sharks, deer, and even baby elephants. Crocodiles can be dangerous to humans as they have powerful jaws and are excellent hunters. However, baby crocs will take a while before they are big enough for that, as it takes anywhere from 4 to 15 years for hatchlings to mature. In general, crocodiles can live up to 70 years in the wild and have been known to live even longer in captivity.
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