Crocodilians, which include alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and gharials, are widely recognized as apex predators. Built on powerful jaws and armored bodies, their status makes the question of what eats them intriguing. Despite their reputation, these reptiles are not invulnerable, and their susceptibility to predation changes drastically over their lifespan. Vulnerability is a matter of size, age, and circumstance, with a diverse cast of animals preying on them at different stages of the life cycle.
Predators Targeting Eggs and Hatchlings
The earliest stage of a crocodilian’s life represents the greatest vulnerability, where mortality rates are high. A large clutch of eggs and the subsequent hatchlings are a temporary, concentrated food source. The mother often guards the nest, but many predators exploit this brief window of opportunity.
Mammals like raccoons are dominant predators of nests, responsible for significant egg failures by digging into the mound. Monitor lizards, such as the Nile Monitor, are also effective nest raiders, destroying a high percentage of unguarded nests. Even invertebrates, such as fire ants, can colonize nests and prey upon emerging hatchlings.
After hatching, the tiny crocodilians (8 to 12 inches long) are easy targets. Large wading birds like herons, egrets, and storks pluck them from the water’s edge. Predatory fish consume them in aquatic nursery areas, and crustaceans like land crabs prey on the young. This initial death toll ensures that only a small fraction survive to a size that affords them greater protection.
Threats to Juvenile and Sub-Adult Crocodilians
Once crocodilians grow beyond the hatchling stage, they deter smaller predators but are still vulnerable to larger, specialized hunters. This sub-adult phase (three to six feet in length) faces threats from both land and water. Cannibalism is a major source of mortality, as larger adult crocodilians readily prey on smaller conspecifics, regulating population density and competition.
On land, the threat often comes from powerful constricting snakes, which can subdue and swallow crocodilians up to a considerable size. Large pythons and anacondas target juvenile alligators and caimans, using muscular strength to overcome the reptile’s defenses. Big cats also pose a significant threat when the crocodilian is out of its aquatic element.
Jaguars, particularly in Central and South America, hunt caimans and smaller alligators, often employing a precise bite to the back of the skull. In Africa, leopards and lions target sub-adult crocodilians, especially when they are basking on a bank and isolated from the safety of the water.
The Specialized Killers of Adult Crocodiles
A healthy, full-grown adult crocodilian, particularly a large Nile or Saltwater Crocodile exceeding 10 feet in length, has very few natural predators. Successful predation on an adult is rare and typically requires overwhelming numbers or a significant tactical advantage. One of the most capable predators is another, larger crocodilian, continuing the threat of cannibalism.
In marine environments, large sharks occasionally pose a threat to saltwater crocodiles. Species like the tiger shark and great white shark are capable of overpowering them, but these interactions are rare and occur when the crocodile is in the open ocean where the shark has the advantage. On land, the largest big cats, such as a lion pride or a large tiger, can kill an adult, but these events are often defensive battles rather than typical hunting scenarios.
Massive herbivores like hippopotamuses may also kill adult crocodiles, not for food, but in defense of their territory or young. Hippos are intensely territorial and aggressively attack any crocodile that threatens their calves, using their weight and powerful jaws to crush the reptile.