Bengal Tiger vs Saltwater Crocodile

Bengal Tiger vs Saltwater Crocodile: As is in the age old fairytale, a great warrior combats the mighty dragon. Who really claims victory?

Crocodile

A legendary monster said to have preyed on dinosaurs, the crocodile is a notorious predator, one of few that actively hunt humans.

Crocodiles are the largest reptiles in the world and have the strongest bite force in the entire animal kingdom.

Larger crocodiles, such as Nile Crocodiles and their even bigger cousins, Saltwater Crocodiles, have no predators at all.

In fact, they will even occasionally prey on other apex predators, such as lions and tigers.

If lions are the king of the jungle, then crocodiles are their dragons.

Analysis: Bengal Tiger vs Saltwater Crocodile

The Saltwater Crocodile is a leviathan. As the largest reptile in the world, the Saltwater Crocodile can weigh as much as 2,205 lbs (1,000 kg) and measure over 20 feet (6m) in length.

There are only two tigers in the world that could stand a chance against such an impressive adversary – the quicker, more agile Bengal Tiger and the larger, stronger, bear-hunting Siberian Tiger.

While the Bengal Tiger may not be as big or powerful as the Siberian Tiger, he has superior agility. Seeing as the crocodile is so massive and is in any case more powerful than the tiger overall, the extra speed may make him even more likely to win than his Siberian cousin.

The Siberian Tiger’s greater strength and weight, on the other hand, may still make up for the sacrifice of agility.

Siberian Tiger vs Saltwater Crocodile

Bengal Tiger vs Saltwater Crocodile

Stats	Bengal Tiger	Saltwater Crocodile
Weight	575 lbs (260 kg)	2,205 lbs (1,000 kg)
Height	3.5 ft (1m)	2 ft (0.6m)
Length (Tail Included)	10.5 ft (3.1	20 ft (6m)
Bite Force	1,050 PSI	3,700 PSI

As far as size is concerned, the crocodile outmeasures the tiger almost completely.

The tiger, however, has the advantage of height, as well as longer, stronger limbs armed with razor-sharp claws. He also has a superior stamina and speed to that of the crocodile.

Many argue in the tiger’s favor that although the crocodile is much larger, this fearsome cat is no stranger to taking down prey much larger than itself. Nonetheless, there are two problems with this argument.

The first case to be made against this theory is that the crocodile is no ordinary hunted animal, especially not one of such magnitude.

Crocodiles have thick bony protective armor all along their backs and their soft throats and underbellies against the ground and unexposed. This would make such a monster impossible for even the Bengal Tiger to seriously injure or kill.

Furthermore, hunting and fighting are in most, if not all cases, incomparable.

Hunting vs Fighting: Predator vs Prey

There are a number of key differences between hunting and fighting, to the extent that it’s often unfair to use a hunting victory to argue a win in a faceoff.

First of all, hunting gives the hunter the element of surprise, whereas a battle is confrontational.

Secondly, the goal of hunting is to eat the prey, while the prey will do what it can to survive the attack. If the prey succeeds in fleeing, it would mean success for the prey and failure for the predator.

When fighting, however, the goal is the same for both sides; each one to ultimately eliminate their adversary. This puts both animals face to face, using their natural weapons and abilities.

That being said, it wouldn’t be such a simple feat for the great reptile to defeat his much faster adversary, either.

Crocodiles kill larger animals by drowning them, so unless the combatants are in the water or by the water’s edge (in which cases the crocodile will most certainly win), there isn’t much a crocodile can do in a fight to the death.

Conclusion

Both animals are highly formidable beasts, capable of inflicting extreme damage on some of the most powerful animals.

Considering all of the advantages and disadvantages one has against the other, however, it appears that a fair match on land will most likely end in nothing more than a retreat by one of the two sides.

If the crocodile manages to clamp down on a sensitive and vital part of the tiger’s body – such as its throat – with its devastating bite force, the fight may be one “to the death” after all.

If he cannot, and both animals are equally willing to risk injury just to come out on top, the tiger will be the one to retreat as he has the bigger risk in such a battle.

Therefore, in the end, one way or another, such a fight is bound to end with the dragon as the victor over the courageous warrior.