Crocodiles. Scary and terrible representatives of the fauna. Many books have already been written and rewritten about them, many conversations have been spoken and discussed about them, countless legends have been written about them, and a huge number of superstitions are associated with them.
One of the most widespread legends among humanity is the legend of crocodile tears. Need to say Furthermore, this is not just a legend. The expression “shed crocodile tears” entered human speech and acquired a phraseological semantic character. Usually they say this about a crying person whose eyes are pouring false, hypocritical and insidious tears.
Such a phraseological unit with a similar meaning was born because of a legend that claims that a crocodile, before eating its victim, waters it for a long time and abundantly with bitter tears. Is this really true? Do crocodiles really cry before their bloody crime, repenting of their sins? Scientists have been trying to answer these questions for many years.
The first mention of the crocodile feature and his very sensitive and vulnerable soul can be found in one of the numerous texts of the “Library of the Patriarch Photius of Constantinople.” This wise patriarch lived approximately from 810 to 895 AD. So Photius himself tells readers about what he allegedly heard from people, about crocodiles that shed tears on the heads and remains of the victims they killed. And that these are tears of pity and grief for these victims. And since the patriarch was a thinker, after reflecting on these rumors for a long time, he made an absolutely pragmatic conclusion: crocodile tears are generated not by pity for the dead, but by pity over the fact that the head and remaining bones are not suitable for food.
In the twelfth century, in the treatise of Hugo the Victorian, we find another mention of crocodile tears. And then, more and more often, scientists and travelers begin to mention this in their works.
In Greek and Latin literature, the crocodile was considered the personification of the devil, and its victims were associated with Christ. Crocodile tears, were interpreted as hypocrisy and apostasy. And the tears of the victims of the crocodile - the devil, naturally, were the tears of a Christian - a righteous man.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, crocodile tears inspired the modern poet Alexander Karlovich Mazdorf to write a fable, which he called “Tears of a Crocodile.”
Here is a rather interesting excerpt from it:
“With tears in my eyes, in heartfelt emotion,
Animal crocodile
Sensitivity extolled:
“My friends, do not be blinded...
Ah, fear the one who does not shed sweet tears;
It’s true that there is no soul or tender feelings in him.
Ask people, they will tell you the same..."
I know, - Bull in response;
They, like you, often cry."
It turns out that quite recently, Swedish scientists managed to confirm the fact of crocodile tears and establish them the real reason. Having deeply penetrated the secrets of the reptile body, they were able to establish that the kidneys of crocodiles are far from perfect, and they do not cope with all their functions one hundred percent. For this purpose, all reptiles (turtles, iguanas and sea snakes too) there are special glands that complement the kidney functions and help remove excess salts from the animal’s body. These glands are located in the corners of the crocodile's eyes, and as soon as the reptile begins to feast on its prey, the glands begin to work, remove excess salts, and this gives the impression that the crocodile is crying. Moreover, his tears are very large and abundant.
This is how it turns out that “ crocodile tears", and not tears at all. Although for many people, most likely, this expression has already become firmly entrenched in the culture of speech, and is unlikely to ever disappear from it.
Crocodile hiding in seaweed
Nile crocodiles were once sacred animals, depicted in frescoes and mosaics, and are now bred in crocodile farms, for example in Tunisia. Nile crocodiles are bred on these farms. They used to live here in the wild, but then they disappeared, and now, as I said, they have returned, that is, they are bred on a farm.
Crocodile and butterflies
On the farm, of course, the crocodiles are fed, so to speak, “by hand,” but in wildlife these reptiles lie in wait for their prey and pounce on it. Of course, they feed them meat, throwing large pieces at them, and feed the little ones minced meat, putting it on plates, well, in general, everything is like in a restaurant.
Crocodile swallows a big fish
But what's the point here? crocodile tears, you say? According to legend, the crocodile sheds bitter tears, mourning the victim that he himself just ate. That is, when they say she sheds crocodile tears, it means the tears of a hypocritical person. The expression crocodile tears appeared among scientists when they observed Nile crocodile. He really cries, but, of course, not because he is sad and sorry for the eaten victim, but because he has an excess of salts in his body. The kidneys of this animal are very weak and therefore the glands for secreting moisture are located right next to the eyes, which is why it seems that he is crying.
Little crocodile and frog
Young crocodiles can reach speeds on land of up to twelve kilometers; they don’t just run, they gallop. By the way, these reptiles reproduce with the help of eggs; a crocodile can hatch from twenty to ninety eggs, burying them in warm sand. As they age, crocodiles lose their teeth, which people use as decoration, hanging them around their necks.
Crocodile and lioness
In order to emphasize the insincerity of a person’s experiences, the expression “sheds crocodile tears” is often used. Indeed, tears periodically flow from the eyes of crocodiles.
According to ancient legend, crocodiles cry bitter tears while eating a person, mourning the victim. More new theory says in this regard that reptiles specifically moisten their prey with tears to simplify its digestion. But why do crocodiles really cry?
The reason for this phenomenon is far from pity for the victim. This phenomenon can be explained from a scientific point of view, and it is not the feelings that are to blame for crocodile tears, but only the kidneys. This organ in crocodiles is imperfect.
To combat excess salts in the body, reptiles are endowed with special glands that help the kidneys. These glands secrete a solution of salts, and they are located literally right next to the eyes of predators.
At moments when the glands are forced to work at full strength, it seems as if a big, angry crocodile is crying bitter tears, although this is nothing more than a defensive reaction of the reptile’s body.
One could indeed accuse crocodiles of sentimentality, but scientists have absolutely established that the transparent drops coming out of the eyes of crocodiles are nothing more than excess salts, and it is a mistake to consider them tears.
- This large reptiles, the closest relatives of those extinct in ancient times dinosaurs. These terrible predators inspired sacred horror in the ancient Egyptians; monsters from the fairy tales of many peoples are similar to a crocodile. The legendary demonic creature - Leviathan - is a huge crocodile. These predators always “smile” - their teeth are visible even when their mouths are closed.
Despite the fact that both crocodiles and alligators are close relatives (they belong to the same order), there is a difference between them, which is expressed in their appearance. To easily distinguish these reptiles, you need, first of all, to look at their muzzle: a narrow and slightly elongated one indicates that this is a crocodile, while a flatter and wider one proves the opposite. Then you can, if it’s not scary, look into the reptile’s mouth: in crocodiles, when the mouth is closed, the upper and lower teeth close together, but in alligators they do not. In addition, the skin of crocodiles is literally dotted with small dark spots, which are very important role- help him determine the position of future prey in the water. The alligator is not so sensitive: it has much fewer dark spots, and they are located only around the jaws.
On the left in the photo is an alligator, on the right is a crocodile
Dangerous predators
Crocodiles are known to be one of the most... dangerous predators of our planet. evoke chilling horror at everything live crocodile capable of using very sharp and dangerous teeth, the main difference of which is the tight closure of the upper row with the lower one. As a result of this, almost no one who, by the will of fate, ends up in the teeth of a crocodile, is given virtually no one chance for salvation. In addition, a crocodile, like a shark, easily changes teeth throughout its life: inside each tooth there is a void in which a new tooth develops.
They feed exclusively on fish, water birds, various and even “relatives” of reptiles, and also, if they can cope with them, very large mammals: buffalos, giraffes, etc. Besides, large crocodiles they feed on small ones, that is, cannibalism is common among these reptiles. Crocodiles often attack people. The stomach of a crocodile is extremely strong, and the gastric juice allows you to digest not only meat, but also horns, hooves, bones and fur!
Crocodile leads night look life. He also hunts at night. A crocodile awaits its prey in ambush. The crocodile stuns the fish with a powerful blow of its tail or throws it ashore. He also knocks down animals with his tail and drags them into the water. In an alien environment, it is difficult for the victim to resist, and the monster easily wins.
Why do crocodiles swallow stones?
Those who think that crocodiles swallow stones because they are simply indiscriminate in their food and like to feast on cobblestones from time to time are absolutely mistaken: the crocodile needs stones in order to feel good and move normally.
According to experts, swallowed stones allow the reptile to better and more confidently stay on the water and under water: it is believed that the stones, by shifting the crocodile’s center of gravity, allow it to easily swim and dive greater depth. However this is not the only reason, forcing crocodiles to treat themselves to cobblestones: the main thing is that these stones (they are called gastroliths) help the animal digest food.
Since, despite the abundance of sharp teeth, crocodiles do not know how to chew, stones that crocodiles swallow and “hide” in the stomach help these reptiles grind food. When food gets into the thick stomach of a crocodile, it is well ground with stones, like millstones, so that the further digestion process takes place without problems.
Third eyelid
The crocodile spends almost all of its time in the river - it comes to land extremely rarely, only at dusk - so nature made sure that the eyes of this reptile do not suffer from constant exposure to water. The crocodile's eyes are equipped with a special semilunar fold, which is also called the “third eyelid,” a membrane that protects the crocodile’s eyes from water, but at the same time allows it to see and navigate perfectly. underwater world. By the way, not only crocodiles have a “third eyelid,” but also birds, which it protects from dust, as well as cats, dogs, etc.
Crocodile tears
The famous “winged” expression - “shedding crocodile tears” means that the experiences that a person experiences are not real: he simply pretends to be sympathetic, while he himself, meanwhile, does his “dirty” deed. It is believed that this turnover appeared after watching a crocodile eat its prey.
It turns out that the crocodile really cries at dinner, but he cries not out of pity and compassion for the one who ended up in his mouth, but simply because he is so amazingly the structure of the body of this reptile. In order to remove excess salt from the body, a crocodile’s kidneys are not enough, and nature has provided special tubules near its eyes: it is through them that tears flow out, and along with the tears, excess salt.
What bird are crocodiles friends with?
Despite the fact that crocodiles, among other living creatures - antelopes, fish, etc. — they also enjoy feasting on various, mainly aquatic birds; they prefer to maintain friendly relations with one of them, the spur lapwing. This is explained by the fact that crocodiles, even despite the fact that their teeth change throughout their lives, take great care of them and try to keep them in good condition. It is precisely with the care of teeth that the tender friendship of crocodiles with lapwings is connected, who literally clean the reptiles’ teeth. They free the crocodile’s mouth from leeches attached to it, pieces of meat stuck between the teeth, etc. It is interesting that, when about to close its mouth, the crocodile waves its head so that the caring birds have time to fly away, and the lapwings, in turn, warn the crocodiles about the impending danger.
A zoologist made an interesting discovery when he accidentally saw a butterfly fluttering around a crocodile’s head. It turns out that insects benefit from crocodile tears.
People have long noticed that crocodiles, known for their bloodthirstiness, often “cry.” The expression "crocodile tears" is used to describe the behavior of a hypocritical person who pretends to worry about a situation that may be his own fault. But, as it turned out, crocodile tears are just features excretory system, which can also benefit other animals.
Director of the biological station La Selva“In Costa Rica, ecologist Carlos de la Rosa accompanied students on a tour of the Puerto Viejo River and accidentally noticed a bright dryad butterfly and a bee fluttering around a spectacled caiman. The insects did not leave the caiman for a quarter of an hour, and they preferred the eyes to all other parts of the reptile’s head. The scientist thought about the reasons for this strange behavior. When he returned, he began to look for descriptions of similar cases. There were a lot of photos and videos on the Internet where bees and butterflies hovered around crocodiles and turtles. A case was described in which a bee drank “turtle tears” on the banks of the Yasuni River in Ecuador, and in "Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society" a case of lacrophagia (the so-called drinking of tear fluid) was even described in Thailand, when a bee drank a human tear.
According to Carlos de la Rosa, crocodile tears serve as a valuable source of mineral salts for insects, a kind of “energy drink.” The fact is that the excretory system of crocodiles and turtles is designed in such a way that the lacrimal glands ensure the removal of excess salts from the body. Mineral salts dissolved in water are present in excess in sea water, but far from the ocean animals may experience a lack of them and therefore look for such non-standard ways to replenish the missing microelements. Carlos de la Rosa outlined his theory on the pages of the magazine "Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment". It is unknown how insects learned about the peculiarities of the excretory system of reptiles, but, one way or another, a new round has appeared in the cycle of mineral salts in nature.
This is not the first “accidental” discovery in the practice of Carlos de la Rosa. So, one day he discovered the new kind dragonflies, noticing that the insect is on an uncharacteristic plant from the bromeliad family. Before this, only one species of dragonfly living on bromeliads was known, but thanks to the scientist’s observation, there were two. You just have to keep your eyes open and be curious enough to look for and find the reason for the strange things that come your way, de la Rosa said.
It remains to be seen why crocodiles do not object to this consumer attitude from insects, and install chemical composition crocodile tears to understand why reptiles attract insects.
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