Decoding the Crocodile’s Bite: Jaws, Teeth, and the Sundarban’s Apex Predator
The saltwater crocodiles of the Sundarbans are beasts out of prehistory, the terror and guardian of the delta’s waters. With a jaw-dropping bite force of over 3500 PSI (pounds per square inch) or more than 16,000 Newtons, witnessing a crocodile’s bite is one of the most fascinating and imposing moments in natural history.
Anatomy of a Lethal Bite
A crocodile’s jaws are designed for one primary purpose: grabbing and holding prey. The conical teeth are built to penetrate and hold, not to cut or chew. When the jaws close, the upper and lower sets intermesh perfectly, creating a firm, vice-like grip from which it is nearly impossible for a victim to escape.
The muscles that shut the jaws are capable of generating enormous power, enough to crush crustacean shells with ease. A large “saltie” has enough power to crush a skull with a slight maneuver of its jaws from a “standing start.” However, in a strange contradiction of design, the muscles that open the jaws have very little strength. A simple rubber band around the snout of a small crocodile is enough to keep its mouth shut.
A Gentle Giant’s Touch
Despite this immense power, crocodilian jaws are also capable of gentle tenderness. Large adults can tenderly pick up and move unhatched eggs, gently squeezing them until the hatching process begins. With nests typically located a few feet from the water, most croc species also dutifully carry their newly hatched young in their mouths, transporting them safely to the nearby water source.
A Predator’s Smile: Tooth Facts and a Scientific Puzzle
Crocodiles have narrow mouths where the upper and lower jaws are of a similar width. When a crocodile closes its mouth, the teeth intermesh, leaving many from both jaws visible. Saltwater crocodiles have 66 teeth—18 on each side of the upper jaw and 15 on each side of the lower jaw—though other species may have more or fewer.
Teeth are often lost, but an efficient replacement mechanism is always at hand. Beneath each functioning tooth, a replacement is ready to fill the space. This replacement occurs roughly every 20 months throughout their lives, although the rate slows with age and may become negligible in the most ancient individuals.
This formidable bite, capable of tackling hard shells and thick hides, presents a scientific puzzle. Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that crocodiles have surprisingly thin tooth enamel, a feature that contrasts with other hard-biting species. This puts researchers in a quandary: did the ancient ancestors of modern crocs already possess this trait, or how did it develop over time?
The Engineering of a Crocodile Tooth
Crocodiles possess ‘thecodont’ teeth, which are set in deep sockets within the jaw, allowing them to exert extraordinarily high bite forces. Like all vertebrate teeth, they consist of a crown and a root. The bulk of the crown is made of soft, bone-like dentin, covered by a hard, highly mineralized outer layer of enamel. The root also has a dentin interior but is covered by an external layer of cementum. Unlike human teeth, the root of a crocodile tooth is hollow.
The mineral composition of the teeth is a carbonated, calcium-deficient nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite in all three tissues—dentin, enamel, and cementum. The fluoride content is remarkably low (<0.1 wt.%), comparable to that found in human teeth.
So, the next time you spot a crocodile in the mangroves, take a moment to witness this structural marvel if you can—it truly never fails to amaze.
Living with a Legend: Conflict and Conservation in the Sundarbans
Accounts of human-crocodile conflict abound in the delta, a testament to the sheer power of this impeccable killing machine that has survived for millennia. Historically, most attacks occurred during work at the water’s edge, especially during “jal tana” (net pulling) fishing and shrimp seed collection. Both methods, though once prevalent, have seen a sharp reduction in use, helping to minimize conflict today.
Crocodile strayings are most common in the southern and central Sundarbans, especially when high tides during the full and new moon wash them into canals and ponds in forest-fringe villages. Over the last few decades, the Forest Department has developed a remarkably sharp and efficient rescue mechanism, benefiting both the crocodiles and the local human population.
Samiran Mandal 
7 responses to “Decoding the Crocodile’s Bite: Jaws, Teeth, and the Sundarban’s Apex Predator”
That’s a fantastic and detailed breakdown, Samiran! 🐊
You’ve really captured the essence of the saltwater crocodile’s incredible design.
It’s also fascinating to read about the gentle side—the way they tenderly handle their eggs and hatchlings—and the scientific puzzle of their thin tooth enamel.
Thanks for sharing that! It’s a great reminder of why they’re the true apex predator and guardian of the Sundarbans.
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Thanks for your valuable comments
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Great detailed thoughts, Samiran.
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Thanks 🙏
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This is so extremely interesting! I have heard that strong individuals could keep them from opening their mouths, yet I did not research further. They are gentle mothers, this I knew, but that is the limit of my knowledge, except that they breathe in a unidirectional manner. They are gigantic lizards that I wish that I could cuddle with, protect, and again, cuddle & convey to each one how amazing he or she is!
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Thanks for your valuable comments 🙏
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Parshat Noach explained
Rabbis have preached the equivalent of Jesus’s 2nd coming bull shit — known as ירידות הדורות for no less than 1500 years which culminated in the Shoah. Reactionary nonsense. The Talmud addresses the subject of Noach and the Ark by focusing upon “False Oaths”. The phrase “because of this corruption” directly compares to modern day Joan of Arc, Gretta Thornburg, climate change, Covid-19 – hysteria with her latest condemnation against Israel over the Hamas surprise attack made on Oct7th 2023 on Shemene Atzeret.
G’lut Jewish thoughts concerning social corruption fail to address the Elephant in the China Closet: 1. Jewish assimilation 2. Jewish intermarriage with Goyim. Both negative commandments define the k’vanna of the 2nd Sinai commandment! Kavanah refers to raising positive and negative תולדות מצוות which do not require k’vanna to Av tohor time-oriented commandments which do require k’vanna. Its this distinction of k’vanna which sharply contrasts with Parshat Noach with its curse of false oaths. False oaths caused the Floods of Noach! Remembering the oaths sworn by the Avot, what does remembering the specifics of these Avot oaths accomplish visa-vis g’lut Israel based upon HaShem sending a M’lach ie Moshe to Egypt?
תלדות מצוות קום ועשה ושב ולא תעשה מצוות emphatically do not require k’vanna. Only a bird-brained טיפש פשט makes a literal translation of “time-oriented commandments” strictly limited to time rather than k’vanna. The latter prophetic mussar as expressed through Aggadah scholarship throughout the Talmud. G’lut Jews do not know nor remember the oaths sworn by the Avot whose “time-oriented commandments, which require שם ומלכות, create the chosen Cohen people throughout the generations in compliance with the oath brit HaShem swore in return to the Avot directly binding the oath sworn lands as the eternal inheritance of the Chosen Cohen People.
The term “time-oriented commandments” do not limit understanding to mere chronology, but rather encompass a deeper appreciation the תמיד מעשה בראשית spiritual creation and re-birth of the chosen Cohen people in all generations bnai brit Israel walks before our God. Parshat Noach serves as a permanent reminder that Goyim from the start rejected the oath brit faith. For this reason the Torah employs the term אלהים. Even when the Torah introduces the שם השם, according to Rashi – Goyim employed this Divine Name to call upon their Av tumah avoda zarah Gods.
Goyim theologies and Creeds create Gods. Hence the Torah introduces the Yatzir Ha’Raw within the heart by opening the Torah with בראשית ברא אלהים rather than שם השם בראשית ברא. The holiness of Torah commandments possesses the spiritual sanctity of creating Malachim. Yaacov sent a malach to his brother Esau. HaShem sent a malach unto Par’o in Egypt. The opening blessing of kre’a shma and the repetition of the Shemone Esrei emphasizes the time oriented commandment sanctity of creating malachim through the service of time oriented Av Torah –rather than toldot commandments.
The difference between אלהים vs. שם השם the different spirits which separate the Yatzir HaRaw from the Yatzir Ha’Tov within the oath brit Cohen peoples’ hearts. The 2nd Sinai commandment emphasizes that the Yatzir Ha’Raw worships other Gods. Monotheism as a Av tuma avoda zarah creation of a foreign Universal God for all Humanity, absolutely a abomination against the 2nd Sinai commandment which validates the tumah spirit which drives the Yatzir HaRaw within the heart of Man to worship other Gods.
Observance of stam commandments do not possess the holiness to create from nothing malachim. Only tohor Av time oriented Torah commandments breath this Torah holiness power. Prophets employ malachim especially during times of war. The story of Bil’aam and his attempt to curse Israel, to cause Israel to fall in defeat before our enemy Moav in battle – defines the reason why the Torah refers to the Goy Bil’aam as a prophet.
Par’o, the Gods of Canaan conquered by Jehoshua the prophet, the God of Baal worshipped by the Philistines – these three examples separate the word אלהים from the Divine Presence Spirit Name שם השם. Hence the ערב רב assimilated and intermarried to Egyptians – these corrupt g’lut Israelites – they referred to the Golden Calf by the word אלהים. A fundamental error to assume that the one word interchanges with the Holy Spirit Divine Sinai first commandment Name.
In like manner the distinction between brit and covenant. The latter the Goyim of the Protocols of the Elders of Zionism New Testament and Arab Koran – both av tumah avoda zarah create new Gods JeZeus and Allah – אלהים. Time oriented Av Torah commandments swear a Torah oath through שם ומלאך as messengers of blessing or curse/life or death לשמה.
The Name אלהים when employed through tohor spirits represents the dedicated Chyyah soul –dedicated to HaShem לשמה on Yom Kippur. Divine Names never to be interchanged with the שם השם any more than malachim confused and associated with being equal and part of the שם השם. Doing so defines the direct genesis error of avoda zarah, where Man confused the stars and planets of the Milky War as lessor Gods; and later worshipped them as Gods in their own right.
The Israelite assimilated ערב רב had not developed יראת אלהים. Consequently, just as king Shlomo failed to pursue righteous judicial Sanhedrin courtroom justice during his entire reign as king, and he both copied the customs manners and ways practiced by Goyim who bankrupt the treasury of their respective nations by building, through slave labor, Pyramid Temple Cathedrals as well as marry alien foreign women who reject the revelation of the Torah at Sinai.
Brit vs. Covenant just as far apart as שם השם from אלהים and the creation of malachim through tohor time oriented commandments by prophets of the chosen Cohen people during times of war. The time oriented malachim created through this unique Av type Torah commandment, they serve as ambassadors to plant Torah curses within the Yatzir Ha’Raw of the hearts of the enemies of Israel who come to war against the chosen Cohen people. Like as the לשון הרע of the 10 spies melted the hearts of Israel to conquer the lands of Canaan.
Tohor time oriented Av commandments create malachim יש מאין מדור לדור. G’lut Jewry cursed with the Torah curse that they have lost the wisdom how to do mitzvot לשמה. Hence the Books of Torah commandments like the puke Rambam book of commandments limits Torah commandments to a bird brained טיפש פשט literal reading of the words of the Torah!
Similar to how the Av tuma avoda zarah church makes a literal reading of the Genesis creation story! Both this and that Av tuma avoda zarah totally miss the boat; and worship other Gods as a direct consequence. The Rambam puke worships a Universal Monotheistic God created through Xtian and Arab avoda zarah New Testament and Koran theology – books of tuma. The puke Rambam confuses 7 mitzvot “bnai Noach” as inclusive of all humanity, rather than the temporary residents – Gere Toshav – who resides within the borders of Sanhedrin judicial authority. No Sanhedrin court has a Torah mandate to put a “bnai noach” living in foreign lands to death for violating one of the 7 mitzvot bnai noach as defined in the Aggada of mesechta Sanhedrin!
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