Why do crocodiles cry tears?

Answer: Lubricating eyes, not emotion

Lubricating eyes, not emotion ✓ — Correct! Crocodiles have tear glands like other land-living vertebrates, and the fluid keeps the eye moist and clean, which matters most when the animal is out of the water or has its eyes exposed while feeding. People have watched alligators and caimans 'weep' while eating; the best guess is that the forceful hissing and jaw movements of feeding push air through the sinuses and squeeze fluid from the glands, though the exact mechanism has not been pinned down. What the tears are not is salt disposal or sorrow: saltwater crocodiles shed excess salt through glands on the tongue, and there is no evidence of emotional crying in any reptile. The proverb about 'crocodile tears' comes from a medieval tale, not from biology.

Crying attracts more prey — No prey is lured by a crocodile's wet eyes. Crocodiles hunt by stillness and ambush, lying almost submerged until something comes within reach. The tears are eye maintenance, not bait.

Tears digest food faster — Tears play no part in digestion; they never reach the stomach, and crocodiles digest with a powerfully acidic gut. Tearing during meals is a side effect of feeding movements, not a digestive aid.