An Australian man was surprised when he was able to pry open the jaws of a saltwater crocodile, the animal with the strongest bite on Earth, to escape.
Adult saltwater crocodiles have a bite force of up to 3.700 psi (16.460 N). Image: Hindenburgdalhoff
Marcus McGowan gets hit by a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) attacked from behind while snorkeling about 40 km off the coast of Cape York, Queensland. However, McGowan managed to pry open the assailant's jaws before it could grip more tightly. Live Science reported on April 6.
“I can open its jaw wide enough to get its head out. The crocodile tried to attack a second time, but I pushed it away with my right hand and was bitten on the hand," McGowan said. McGowan was then taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries to his head and hands. These injuries are still relatively light compared to having to fight one of the most powerful predators on the planet.
Crocodiles are famous for their strong jaws. According to measurements, saltwater crocodiles have the strongest bite force on the planet. "They look like they have a very fat neck, but it's actually an abundance of jaw muscles," said Paul Gignac, an anatomist at the University of Arizona. According to 2012 research Gignac was involved in conducting, this impressive neck muscle allows adult saltwater crocodiles to grip their prey with a force of 3.700 psi (16.460 N). Another formidable predator, the jaguar (Panthera onca) has a bite force of about 1.500 psi.
McGowan believes the crocodile that attacked him was about 2-3 meters long, meaning it was immature. However, even young crocodiles can produce a relatively strong bite force, about 250 psi, Gignac said. “It's amazing that McGowan survived. Crocodiles usually don't let go once they've grabbed them," Gignac said.
Gignac thinks the man may have been very lucky because the alligator was too young or incapable of performing the "death twist" - twisting violently in the water while grabbing bait to cut or kill. disorienting prey.
In McGowan's case, he may have escaped death for a variety of reasons. First, the crocodile did not use its entire jaw to grab McGowan. “The bite force will be smaller when it is out of the jaw joint. So the tip of their snout usually has about 40% less bite force,” explains Gignac.
Crocodile health could also be another reason. Reptiles are cold-blooded animals, meaning they rely heavily on external heat sources to control body temperature and have a slower metabolism than warm-blooded animals. As a result, they generally have smaller energy reserves than most warm-blooded animals. Although crocodiles can be very aggressive at first, they get tired relatively quickly. Gignac adds that the alligator needs to rest before reaching peak performance again.
Under such conditions, it may be possible for humans to free themselves from the crocodile's mouth. When attacked, the human body normally releases large amounts of adrenaline, increasing heart rate and breathing rate. This reaction increases the amount of oxygen transported to the muscles, giving a person a temporary boost of energy.
Thu Thao (Follow Live Science)
