Crocodile tears are still controversial

Observations by scientists show that its crocodiles and close relatives are really small, even when they pluck their prey. But they still don't understand why.

Anecdote about " crocodile tears" refers to a person who expresses sadness in an artificial way. But not all crocodiles and its relatives expressed a regretful way.

Researchers at the University of Florida, USA, said tears may function similarly to human saliva , helping animals digest food . The crocodile's tear line is linked to the nasal cavity and it is thought that tears are created from the eyes, flowing into the nasal cavity and floating down the throat.

" The old concept is that tears smooth the food when it is swallowed and the tears we see are a bit too much of a production, " said researcher Kent Vliet.

In a 2006 study, scientists at the University of Florida and the University of California, USA, trained 7 crocodiles to move to dry places, then they filmed their reactions. The results showed that 5 out of 7 crocodiles shed tears while eating.

The team cannot explain why the crocodile is crying. But they argue that the cause may be related to the panting and gasping of animals while eating . This action pushes air through the sinuses, stimulating the glands to secrete more tears.