Two of the most feared apex predators are crocodiles and great white sharks. But who would win if they went head-to-head?
How do saltwater crocodiles hunt?
Saltwater crocodiles can grow to 6 metres long and they thrive in coastal habitats.
Rather than chasing their prey, they wait for prey to come to them, and because they are well-camouflaged, their prey often doesn’t see them until it is too late.
Once the crocodile lunges and has its jaws around its prey, there is little chance of escape. Usually, the croc drowns the animal by dragging it underwater.
Crocs can hunt even in very murky and dark conditions because of the Integumentary Sensory Organs on their scales. These organs are highly sensitive to vibrations caused by other animals, so a croc will know precisely where its prey is even when it cannot see it.
How do great white sharks hunt?
Great white sharks — which also grow to 6 metres long — hunt in open water, rather than coastal environments. Faster than crocs, their top speed is 25 miles per hour, versus a saltwater crocodile’s 18. But this is largely because of hunting style: crocs, who are one of the deadliest ambush predators, don’t really need to be able to move so fast.
Great white sharks are, just like crocs, incredibly well camouflaged. With countershaded bodies (dark on top, light underneath) they are hard for prey to spot from both below and above, meaning they can sneak up on prey as well as a crocodile can.
A great white’s bite force is a match for a saltwater croc’s. Once prey has been chomped on by a great white, there’s little chance of getting away.
And, in parallel to crocodiles, great whites also have special adaptations for detecting prey without relying on sight. Great white sharks have electroreceptors in their skin that can detect the electric field of other animals, and they are also able to pick up on other animals’ vibrations.
Croc vs shark: who would win?
Given how evenly matched the two species are when it comes to hunting adaptations, this is a close call. The deciding factor is probably location.
Put a great white shark in a crocodile’s murky coastal home, and it may well be ambushed by a well-camouflaged croc. Put a croc in the open ocean, and it barely stands a chance of escaping a great white.
What this goes to show, more than anything, is how fantastically well-adapted these two species are to hunting in their respective habitats. Evolution is a force to be reckoned with.
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Main image: a saltwater crocodile and a great white shark. Credit: Getty
