Watch This Hungry Crocodile Chomp A Huge Tortoise… Shell And All!

Written by Sharon Parry
Updated: October 23, 2023
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Filmed in the famous Kruger National Park in Africa, this clip shows a Nile crocodile as it spots a tortoise and trots along the sand to secure it. Tortoises are not exactly fast and therefore have to rely on their shells for defense. That works quite well with most species but when it comes to crocodiles it has its limitations! In the clip below, we get to see just how powerful the crocodile’s bite force is!

Check Out This Video Below!

Crocodile snacks on entire tortoise

What Exactly Is A Tortoise Shell?

geometric tortoise with beautiful shell

Tortoise shells provide protection and camouflage

©Lost Pirate/Shutterstock.com

Tortoises belong to the Testudinidae family of reptiles. They live exclusively on land and are sometimes referred to as land turtles. There are over 40 species that vary in size and color and occupy many continents. The thing that they all have in common is a shell.  

According to the herpetology (amphibian and reptile) experts at Atlanta Zoo, the shell is made up of a dorsal section at the top, called the carapace and a ventral section at the bottom called the plastron. The two are fused together in a mosaic of tissue (epidermal, dermal, and skeletal). The scutes (hard keratin scales) are on the top with bony plates beneath but these overlap each other to provide more strength. A tortoiseshell is actually its rib cage, sternum, and vertebrae that have fused to form this structure over 200 million years of evolution. Obviously, protection is its main function but it also can provide camouflage.

Tortoise shells are incredibly strong but the force that they can withstand depends on where on the shell it is applied as well as the size, age, and health of the tortoise.

What Do Nile Crocodiles Usually Eat?

Discover the Incredible Desert Crocodiles that Live in the Sahara Cover image

Nile crocodiles are the second-largest crocodile in the world.

©Martin Mecnarowski/Shutterstock.com

Nile crocodiles are formidable predators. They are a native species of Africa and can live to be 45 years old. Measuring the exact bite force of animals is not easy as there are so many variables but these crocs can bite down with at least 3,000 psi and it may be as much as 5,000 psi.

Their diet is varied and adults will target just about anything that moves. Smaller prey include fish, crabs, and frogs. Larger prey include impala, buffalo, zebras, and bushbuck. They will even eat lions and have been known to kill humans!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Johan Swanepoel/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Dr Sharon Parry is a writer at A-Z animals where her primary focus is on dogs, animal behavior, and research. Sharon holds a PhD from Leeds University, UK which she earned in 1998 and has been working as a science writer for the last 15 years. A resident of Wales, UK, Sharon loves taking care of her spaniel named Dexter and hiking around coastlines and mountains.

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