Crocodile tales

I spent about an hour wading around with a tripod in knee deep water to get the shot. Quite a few people were watching me from the beach but I didn’t think much of it until I got out of the water. Someone then pointed out the sign warning of crocodiles living in the water. Luckily nothing took a fancy to my legs but it gave me quite a stir!

The following day we went on a crocodile spotting tour and came across this lovely fellow. He was about 6 foot in length, but pretty passive at this time of year as the water is cold for them. I learned quite a few interesting facts about Crocodile that day, here are some of them:

• Male crocodiles never stop growing! They can live to over 100 years old…
• During the mating season male crocodiles vibrate their backs so fast that it boils the water above them
• Males have also been known to eat females instead of mating with them
• Females keep their eggs warm by building a nest which rots and produces heat. This has to be controlled within a few degrees or the eggs will die
• They can slow their heart rate down to a few beats per minute, cutting off blood to everywhere but their brain and sensory functions

It was a good tour and amazing to see them in their natural enviorment. They have remained essentially un-changed since the dinosaurs walked the earth!