According to the Museum of Science in Miami, American crocodiles will eat rocks to aid in digestion. Since they never actually chew their food, only tear it, the rocks sit in the stomach to help crocodiles digest food. A study in the journal Integrative Organismal Biology reported that this stone swallowing behavior serves another purpose. The weight of the stones improves the crocodile’s ability to dive and stay submerged underwater up to 35 minutes longer.
