Quick Take
- Captivity doesn't make crocodiles any calmer at feeding time. What happens when hundreds of them compete for the same meal is something you have to see to believe. Watch the frenzy →
- A group of crocodiles has a name you've almost certainly never heard, one that perfectly captures what happens the moment food hits the water. Learn the group name →
- During a feeding frenzy, crocodiles don't just compete with each other. They turn on one another in ways that cross a line most people wouldn't expect. See the biting incident →
- Alligators and crocodiles both look terrifying, but only one of them is considered truly dangerous to anything that enters its space. The answer might not be the one you'd guess. See which is more aggressive →
Crocodiles must go to great lengths to provide for themselves in the wild. They camouflage themselves in the water and attempt to take down animals crossing the river that are larger than they are, and they deal with other predators competing for the same food.
However, being in captivity has its own disadvantages. Watch the video at the top to see this feeding frenzy happen.
Crocodile Float
The short YouTube clip posted shows hundreds of crocodiles about to be fed. A large group of crocodiles is referred to as a float. They can also be referred to as a bask when on land. This float being fed was captured by the Feeding Battle YouTube page. This channel offers content on the intense feeding of various animals. Their most recent video feedings are of turtles, geckos, beetles, and fish.
Hungry Crocodiles Get Their Meal
At the start of the video, we see countless crocodiles in an enclosed space. There is a small body of water in the center. Surrounding the water are hundreds of crocs basking in the sun.
Suddenly, we see a woman and a man come with a meat-filled bin. The crocodile keeper takes her shovel and knocks it against the wall. She is alerting them that food time is here and they should get ready. Then she scoops up an entire shovel filled with meat and throws it in the water.
The feeding frenzy begins, and crocodiles are trampling over one another to get the food they need. Feeding frenzies are extremely intense among crocodiles. There was even one case in Australia where one crocodile bit another crocodile’s foot clean off!
Which is More Aggressive: Alligator or Crocodile?
A common question concerns the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. The second most frequently asked question is which one is more aggressive.
Alligators have two species: the Chinese alligator and the American alligator. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), being the most popular, can weigh up to 1,000 pounds, with average males weighing between 500 and 600 pounds. They can reach about 15 feet in length. They live in the southeastern United States.
True crocodiles have 16 species, while all crocodilians number 26. One of the most famous is the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), weighing anywhere from 40 to 2,200 pounds. They can reach up to 23 feet in length. They live throughout Africa, Asia, Central America, North America, and South America.
It is easy to fear both of these giant reptiles. However, the crocodile is the most aggressive of the two. According to the American Oceans Organization, crocodiles “are known to be highly aggressive and will attack anything that enters their territory.” This likely explains why the keepers in the video remained safely on the other side of the wall.
