In the video at the bottom of the page, a baby turtle is stuck in a crocodile’s throat. Watch two young men work together to save not just the baby turtle in the croc’s mouth, but also its brothers and sisters fighting for their lives in the croc pond.
Can Crocodiles Store Food in Their Throats?
When crocodiles eat large prey, they use their strong jaws to chomp through their bodies, eventually swallowing their prey piece by piece. In their stomachs, there are two separate chambers. The first grinds up the prey it’s gotten a hold of, and the second chamber is highly acidic, able to break down even tough animal parts like hooves and bones. In their mouths, crocodiles have palatal valves.
This valve allows them to seal their throat completely to prevent water or air from entering. When it’s shut, crocodiles can grab their prey underwater and wait to swallow it until they’re outside of the water — this prevents water from rushing down their esophagus. It’s not so much that they’re saving a treat for later, it’s about the preference of swallowing when not submerged.
Are Yellowbelly Slider Turtles Native to Florida?
Yellowbelly slider turtles are native to the southeast region of the U.S., including Florida all the way up to the southeastern portion of Virginia. It’s the most common type of turtle throughout this region and it travels on land and through the water. These types of turtles are also a popular choice for those looking for a pet reptile.
©Marco Fine/Shutterstock.com
Man Saves Baby Turtle From Crocodile
When the video below starts, Jacob Feder, a Youtuber, starts by explaining that his buddy Landon and a monkey have come across a baby turtle in the zoo they’re filming in. This is when they realize that the slider turtles in the area have had some babies. While that’s all good and well, there is a croc pond in the zoo where some baby turtles are in imminent danger. The video then flashes through several moments, first of the monkey gently petting the baby turtle, then of the small croc lunging at Landon at the croc pond. After that, it’s chaos as Landon dives into the croc pond to rescue as many baby turtles as possible.
Unfortunately, in one quick scene, Jacob holds a baby turtle that didn’t make it. Some baby turtles are rescued easily. Jacob places them into a small container with water. You can watch the tense rescue in the later part of the video when Landon grabs the crocodile and holds its jaw open. Jacob uses tongs to release the baby turtle and just then the croc snaps its jaws shut. Does the baby turtle make it? Watch the video below to find out!
The post Watch a Man Heroically Save a Baby Turtle Stuck in the Jaws of a Crocodile appeared first on AZ Animals.
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