This scene was captured by American wildlife photographer Patrick Castleberry: a six-foot-long (about 1.8 meters) American alligator attempting to pry open a turtle shell to devour it.
He thought the battle would end in the alligator's victory. However, after 15 minutes of effort, which included repeatedly tossing the turtle up in the air like a ball, spitting it out and swallowing it again, trying to bite it from different angles with force, the alligator still couldn't break through the turtle's shell.
Perhaps after biting for too long and feeling the soreness in its muscles, the alligator eventually gave up, feeling reluctant as it left.
The Eastern box turtle remained motionless, leading the photographer to believe it was dead. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the turtle was still alive, just unable to flip itself over with its legs up in the air.
For a long time, scientists believed that the turtle's hard shell was to prevent itself from being eaten. Now, it seems that this strategy is indeed effective.
The turtle shell is more than just a house.
The turtle's shell is not just a simple armor, nor is it like in cartoons that can be taken off and put on. It is a part of the turtle's skeleton.
The shell is divided into two parts, the carapace and the plastron, connected by the sides (also called the bridge).
From a material perspective, the turtle shell consists of two layers. The top layer of shield-like plates is made of keratin, similar to our nails, while the tightly connected lower layer is made up of its ribs and skeleton.
The two layers of structure, like shields, protect the vital organs and body within the turtle shell.
In times of danger, the turtle can retract its body, avoiding being eaten by predators.
However, this doesn't mean that the crocodile can't overcome the turtle.
Crocodile teeth or turtle shells, which is harder?
Purely based on data, the crocodile's bite force is definitely higher.
Research indicates that a crocodile's bite force can reach up to 2900 pounds, while a turtle shell can withstand only 1000 pounds of pressure.
However, it's not absolute because the strength of a turtle shell depends on factors like size, the area being bitten, and the species, just as with crocodiles, where size and species play a role.
The design of turtle shells is also interesting; many species have a rounded, arched top that is smooth, making it difficult for a crocodile, even with strong teeth, to grip and exert biting force on a turtle.
The crocodile's front limbs are short, and if a turtle struggles in the crocodile's mouth, it becomes difficult for the crocodile to deliver a fatal blow.
Due to the risk of failure, crocodiles generally do not actively attack turtles.
Take the crocodile at the beginning as the best example; it spent 15 minutes trying to extract the meat from the turtle shell, similar to "sucking snails," but wasted a lot of energy without success.
However, if unlucky enough to encounter a powerful crocodile, the best outcome for the turtle is a quick and painless death in one bite; the worst outcome is being ground by the crocodile's teeth for over ten minutes until the turtle shell finally gives way under the pressure, leading to a despairing demise.
In the end, when it comes to preying on turtles, the most skilled predator is the jaguar.
It hunts at night, targeting sea turtles as they come ashore to lay eggs.
Due to the physical limitations of sea turtles, they cannot retract into their shells like land turtles. Therefore, the jaguar simply needs to bite the turtle's head, then use brute force to pull out the turtle's body to devour it.
Some crocodiles also employ this tactic, by seizing the head directly to swiftly end this tug-of-war.
