Animal imagery shows up constantly in Capoeira songs — cobra (snake), jacaré (alligator), gavião (hawk), and many others. These aren't random references; they're metaphors for movement style and character inside the game.
A jacaré suggests something low to the ground, patient, and hard to see coming — think of ground-based movements like the rasteira or a low, sneaky approach. A gavião suggests something sharp, watchful, and quick to strike from above. A cobra suggests fluidity mixed with a sudden, precise bite.
When a song calls someone a particular animal, it's usually commenting on how they play — their style, their temperament in the Roda, or the kind of danger they represent to whoever's playing against them.
Knowing what the animal is actually standing in for changes how you hear the whole song — instead of a nature reference, it becomes a description of exactly the kind of game you should expect to see.