Animal Tears: Many animals shed tears. Even crocodiles, alligators and caimans do. But this occurs while they are eating. However, this phenomenon is not an emotional response but the function of the tears is to lubricate the eye. This may be even more relevant for crocodiles because they have a third eyelid, also known as a nictitating membrane. The weeping may be a byproduct of a feeding behavior: the hisses and huffs that crocs make while eating. The general contraction of jaw muscles during the bite reflex may help to squeeze tears out of the lacrimal glands and ducts. Another explanation is that accumulated tears that well up below the eye are simply displaced and run down the jaws when the crocodile moves its head to eat, and it's easy to associate that 'crying' with eating. In the violent world of crocodiles, tears likely play a protective role.