Bull sharks and crocodiles are enigmatic oceanic creatures. Let us together draw a comparative analysis on them.
Both bull sharks and crocodiles are powerful predators with excellent combat skills. While sharks keep biting their prey till it is mutilated and dead, crocodiles hang on to their flesh and remove it from their bodies before feeding on it. In addition, crocodiles live on both land and water, whereas sharks can survive only in water.
Today, we will together look at some of the most common questions people ask about the differences between bull sharks and crocodiles.
Image Credits: “Hartley’s Creek Crocodile farm” by Sue Waters is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
Image Credits: “オオメジロザメ Bull shark” by ume-y is marked with CC BY 2.0.
Do bull sharks attack crocodiles?
Bull sharks and crocodiles are hostile animals, without a doubt. Let us explore whether bull sharks attack crocodiles.
Bull sharks do not attack crocodiles, but the opposite is entirely possible. There have been several recorded instances over the years of crocodiles biting and eating bull sharks, along with other shark species such as lemon sharks. In fact, saltwater crocodiles are notorious for attacking and eating bull sharks.
Crocodiles are aggressive animals known for their ferocity. Therefore, they often prey on bull sharks and other shark species in addition to fishes and other marine animals.
Is a shark stronger than a crocodile?
Sharks are powerful animals with tremendous strength. But are sharks stronger than crocodiles? Let us find out.
Sharks are not stronger than crocodiles, with the exception of the great white sharks. Bull sharks are often attacked by crocodiles, and so are lemon sharks and tiger sharks. Great white sharks are powerful enough to engage in combat with crocodiles, and they are also fast swimmers, which gives them an added advantage.
Crocodiles are massive animals that kill marine creatures quite indiscriminately. From sharks to fishes and seagulls, crocodiles attack one and all because of their tremendous strength.
Saltwater crocodile vs bull shark
Image Credits: “Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)” by berniedup is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
Image credits: “オオメジロザメ Bull shark” by ume-y is marked with CC BY 2.0.
Saltwater crocodiles and bull sharks are two distinct species. Let us draw a comparative analysis on them.
Saltwater crocodiles are humongous animals who eat indiscriminately, whereas bull sharks adhere to a very specific diet comprising fishes and smaller sharks. Saltwater crocodiles are powerful and can easily munch through a bull shark. In fact, bull sharks prefer occupying freshwaters and do not thrive in saltwater regions. Therefore, attacking them becomes easier.
Saltwater crocodiles have a tremendous advantage over bull sharks and can easily overpower them. In fact, there have been several recorded instances of bull sharks being eaten by saltwater crocodiles.
Bull sharks vs saltwater crocodile bite
Image Credits: “Crocodiles Mouth-01&” by Sheba Also 18 Million Views is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
Both bull sharks and crocodiles have a strong bite that can injure possible victims. Let us learn which of the two has a stronger bite.
Saltwater crocodiles are fantastic biters and have the most powerful bite among all crocodile species, whereas bull sharks have the best bite among the shark species. Although both bull sharks and crocodiles are excellent biters, saltwater crocodiles have a biting force of 3,700 pounds per square inch to bite through hard and soft-shelled prey.
That being said, bull sharks are strong biters, too but lack the force that characterizes crocodiles.
Bull shark vs crocodile appearance
Bull sharks and crocodiles have very distinct appearances, and even a layman can tell them apart. Let us learn more in this regard.
Bull sharks are essentially shark species that are cartilaginous and live in water at all times, whereas crocodiles belong to the family of reptiles and live on land too. Besides, bull sharks grow up to 11-20 feet, whereas most crocodiles attain a similar height and grow anywhere between 10 to 20 feet.
We must mention here that grown up bull sharks weigh slightly more than crocodiles. On average, most bull sharks will weigh 1,000 to 2,400 lbs, whereas crocodiles can weigh 2,000 pounds at maximum.
Bull sharks vs crocodiles teeth
One major point of dissimilarity between bull sharks and crocodiles is their teeth structure. Allow us to tell you more in this regard.
Bull sharks have around 50 odd teeth in the front row itself, and overall, they have 300 teeth on average, whereas crocodiles have around 66 conical-shaped teeth. As some of you might already know, sharks lose and regrow their teeth several times during their lifetime. Even crocodiles shed their old teeth but not as frequently as sharks.
Needless to say, both bull sharks and crocodiles need a strong set of teeth to survive in the ocean and hunt for potential prey.
Bull sharks vs crocodiles lifespan
Bull sharks and crocodiles also vary in terms of their lifespan. Allow us to tell you more on this topic.
On average, saltwater crocodiles can live up to 70 years, whereas bull sharks can live up to 12-16 years. Most crocodile species live merely up to 30-40 years, with the Nile crocodile clocking in a lifespan of 50-60 years. In captivity, bull sharks have been known to live up to 30 years. Most sharks have a similar lifespan of 20 to 30 years.
Bull sharks vs crocodiles movement
Image Credits: “Bull Shark” by Relativiox is marked with CC BY 2.0.
A common question asked about bull sharks and crocodiles is how they vary in terms of speed. Let us learn more in this regard.
Most sharks can swim faster than crocodiles, especially the great white sharks. On average, bull sharks can swim at the rate of 35 mph, whereas crocodiles can swim only up to 15mph when in water and around 22mph when they are on land. Since sharks swim faster in water, they might sometimes escape attacks from crocodiles.
Conclusion
Bull sharks and crocodiles are two of the most fierce, dangerous aquatic species. They have a powerful jaw and can easily bite into and tear apart their prey. In terms of senses, sharks see better when they are in water and can also smell blood. Crocodiles, on the other hand, have better defenses since they can move on both land and water and have really tough skin, which makes recoveries from injuries quicker.
