Why are crocodiles more deadly than all wild beasts?

Question

Concerning Tzphardea, Rabbi Hirsch 7 27 writes צפרדע can not mean crocodiles, otherwise there would have been no Egyptians left in the land. It is clear that they were only annoying creatures, not dangerous ones. Tradition has it that they were frogs.

How can he claim 'otherwise there would have been no Egyptians left in the land', they survived Arov, the mixed wild beasts? Is there any reason to assume they could survive Arov but not Tzphardea?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocodile#Danger_to_humans seems relevant. — MTL, Jan 12 '15 at 02:19
Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_crocodile#Hunting_and_diet, and you will find out why they are more dangerous than other predators. — Fred, Jan 12 '15 at 02:23
@Fred i see nothing there that says crocs are more dangerous than lions and tigers and bears. This is from wiki apex predetor page Food chains are often far shorter on land, with the top of the food chain limited to the third trophic level, as where such predators as the big cats, crocodilians, hyenas, wolves, or giant constrictor snakes prey upon large herbivores. Apex predators do not need to be hypercarnivores. For example, humans[4] are both apex predators and omnivores.[5] — user6591, Jan 12 '15 at 02:44
@user6591 "The Nile crocodile is one of the most dangerous species of crocodile and is responsible for hundreds of deaths of humans every year... The attack is sudden and unpredictable... The immense bite force, which may be as high as 5,000 lbf (22,000 N) in large adults, ensures the prey item can't escape through the grip... Large adults sometimes take on larger prey such as giraffe, Cape buffalo, young hippos, and young elephants..." — Fred, Jan 12 '15 at 02:50
@user6591 "...In several instances, large crocodiles have been observed to take down much larger prey such as the black rhinoceros and hippopotamus... Nile crocodiles are also known to prey on other large predators such as hyenas, cheetah, African wild dogs, jackals, leopards, and even lions on occasion... Nile crocodiles also prey on humans frequently, far more often than other crocodilian species." — Fred, Jan 12 '15 at 02:50
@Fred this holds up in the face of just about all other wild beasts? — user6591, Jan 12 '15 at 02:54
@user6591 Well, they do tend to be much deadlier to humans than are lions, tigers, bears, hyenas, and constrictors (though only some of these have a significant presence in northern Africa). Mosquitoes are much deadlier in terms of their ability to transmit disease, although it could take a couple of weeks to display symptoms of malaria, for example. Hippos are also quite deadly to humans who encroach on their space or threaten their young, but they don't seek to hunt humans as such. Elephants are somewhat similar. So crocodiles are uniquely prolific hunters of people, esp. for that region. — Fred, Jan 12 '15 at 05:41
@Fred You've proven a good point. I wish you'd post it as an answer so I can at least +1 it. — user6591, Jan 12 '15 at 12:24
Tradition has it that they were frogs Really? How robust is this tradition? Do Hazal record it? Rav Sa'adya Gaon writes in one place that they were crocodiles. — mevaqesh, Nov 27 '16 at 17:22

score 7 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 12 '15 at 21:15

The Pesukim tell us that the Tzefarde'a went into their homes, bedrooms, bodies and even ovens.

וְעָלוּ וּבָאוּ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבַחֲדַר מִשְׁכָּבְךָ וְעַל מִטָּתֶךָ וּבְבֵית עֲבָדֶיךָ וּבְעַמֶּךָ וּבְתַנּוּרֶיךָ וּבְמִשְׁאֲרוֹתֶיךָ

There was no place in Egypt to hide from them, hence "no Egyptians would have survived".

The Arov did not have as much access:

הִנְנִי מַשְׁלִיחַ בְּךָ וּבַעֲבָדֶיךָ וּבְעַמְּךָ וּבְבָתֶּיךָ אֶת הֶעָרֹב וּמָלְאוּ בָּתֵּי מִצְרַיִם אֶת הֶעָרֹב וְגַם הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר הֵם עָלֶיהָ

It seems the Egyptians were able to hide in their bedrooms and protect themselves from the Arov.

Why are crocodiles more deadly than all wild beasts?

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