The death roll is about as gruesome as it sounds.
Crocodilians – a group of predominantly carnivorous reptiles that includes crocodiles, alligators and caimans, as well as their cousins, the gharials – almost all use it to capture and kill their prey.
Many crocodilians prey on animals larger than themselves. Often, this involves ambushing quarry – such as buffalo or pigs – that venture too close to the water’s edge. Once prey is pinned in their vice-like jaws, crocodilians spin around and around in the water, taking their victim with them. The force of this roll kills and dismembers the animal, allowing the crocodilian to swallow it down in chunks.
But why not just chew their food up? While crocodilians have jaws that are well-adapted to gripping prey, they can only move their jaws up and down, not side to side, and therefore cannot chew. The death roll is their best method for portioning up dinner into bite-size pieces.
The power of this deadly weapon is captured below in slow motion.
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Top image: an alligator in Florida. Credit: Getty
