What makes a crocodile smile?

Crocodiles don’t really smile, but can look like they are. To cool themselves down, they open their mouths to pant and this makes them look like they are smiling.

How do crocodiles clean their teeth?

They let birds clean them. Crocodiles have between 64 and 68 teeth to keep clean. They open their mouths and let birds hop inside to pull out bits of old food and insects.

Although this seems to be a mutually helpful relationship, one can’t be sure that the birds don’t sometimes make a tasty snack for a hungry crocodile.

They don’t chew

They do not chew their food. Many large crocodiles swallow stones, which may act as ballast to balance their bodies or assist in crushing food, similar to grit ingested by birds.

Crocodiles do cry – kind of!

Crocodiles really do produce tears because, while eating, they swallow too much air, which gets in touch with the glands that produce tears and forces tears to flow. But it’s not actually crying.

The term “crocodile tears” refers to a false, insincere display of emotion, such as a hypocrite crying fake tears of grief. It is derived from an ancient anecdote that crocodiles weep in order to lure their prey, or that they cry for the victims they are eating.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 20th, 2018