Skip to main content

The Crocodile’s Jaw

A mother crocodile safely carrying her hatchling in her mouth

The crocodile has the most powerful bite ever measured for animals that are now living. For example, the saltwater crocodile, can bite nearly three times as hard as a lion or a tiger. Yet, the crocodile’s jaw is also incredibly sensitive to touch—even more sensitive than the human fingertip. How can that be, considering the crocodile’s armored skin?
The crocodile’s jaw is covered with thousands of sense organs. Each of the nerve endings comes out of a hole in the skull. This arrangement protects the nerve fibers in the jaw while providing sensitivity that in some spots is greater than instruments could measure. As a result, the crocodile can distinguish between food and debris in its mouth. That is also how a mother crocodile can carry her hatchlings in her mouth without accidentally crushing them. The crocodile’s jaw is a surprising combination of power and sensitivity.

Popular posts from this blog

The Lantern of the Photuris Firefly

THE lantern, or light organ, of a particular Photuris firefly is covered with jagged scales that dramatically enhance the brightness of the light that the insect produces.   * Jagged scales Consider: Researchers have found that tiny scales on the lantern surface of some fireflies form a corrugated pattern, somewhat like overlapping shingles or tiles. The scales tilt up at one end by just 3 micrometers —less than one twentieth the thickness of a human hair. Yet this tiny tilt lets the lantern shine almost 50 percent more brightly than it would if the scales formed an even surface!

An Overview of Indonesia

Land  Straddling the equator between Australia and continental Asia, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago. Most of its more than 17,500 islands feature rugged mountains and dense tropical forests. With more than 100 active volcanoes, it is also the most active volcanic region on earth.

Beyonce’s Good Genes

Beyonce’ s good looks are definitely good genes. Here’s a 20-year-old baby faced Bey at the Golden Globes in 2001   (left)   and 15 years later ... the flawless singer -- who turns 35 this weekend -- at the MTV VMAs last week   (right) .