Wild animals use different techniques to take down their prey. The crocodile uses a specific movement, while a member of the big cat family prefers a quicker approach than the rest of its feline relatives. In this article, you will learn how these animals kill their prey , one of which can pose a problem if you live in certain parts of Florida.
Crocodile
There are some parts of the world, including in the United States, where you can come across a crocodile in broad daylight. The American crocodile is only found within the southern half of Florida. In parts of Southeast Asia and Africa, the saltwater crocodile and Nile crocodile are considered the most dangerous , killing hundreds of people each year. Out of all the large predatory animals in the world, crocodiles are responsible for killing the greatest number of people on a yearly basis. Some say that the animals are among the few creatures that see people as viable prey.
When a crocodile sets its sights on a large victim, they rely on a ‘death roll’ to take down their prey. The crocodile holds the prey in its jaws (usually by the neck or limb) and drags it into the water. It then spins its entire body and in the process, dismembers its victim. They can not only accomplish this task in the water, but also while on dry land. Crocodiles also don’t care if their prey is still alive when they start to feed. The death roll is meant to tear the prey into smaller pieces that are easier to swallow. Human victims that have lived to tell their tale of a crocodile attack have left with missing limbs, and the unlucky ones that escape die from blood loss, shock, or drowning before they have a chance to get out of the water.
Jaguar
Big cats are known as fierce hunters and the majority of the feline species (including the house cat) tend to go for the neck or throat of their victims. The cat then bites so hard and holds so tight that the victim either chokes or suffers a stroke. Some bites go deep enough to pierce the windpipe, the jugular vein or even snap the vertebrae of the neck. Within a few minutes, a big cat can strangle large prey to death.
However, the jaguar does something completely different than its big cat cousins. They are known to strangle their prey once in a while, but they’d much rather use a quicker and deadlier method. With long, thick fangs and powerful jaws, they will bite through the skull and pierce the brain of their victim , causing instantaneous death. When compared to the size of a lion or tiger, the jaguar has a much stronger bite. The skull bite technique of the jaguar allows it to kill armored prey, such as caimans and even tackle larger victims, such as feral bulls weighing nearly half a ton.
When their prey is not too big or posing an issue, such as an armored cover, the jaguar will sink its fangs into the ears of the victim, which makes this a horrible way for a human to die.