Greetings Martyn et al.,
Yes, one gets a fantastic eye-shine from crocodiles. Pick them up half a k=
m
away with a sufficiently powerful spotlight and binoculars.
When Harry Messel, of Canadian extraction, was appointed Physics Professor
at Sydney University (30 plus yrs-ago?), he had already successfully tracke=
d
polar bears using radio collars. He sought another project which, as he
explained, would be worthwhile for conservation, and also a serious test of
his technology. Settled on crocodiles.
Australia's Salt-water Crocodile (C. porosus) had recently been protected
after severe population reduction through hunting for skins. Helping to
ensure survival of the remaining population was a worthwhile project, and
Professor Messel reckoned it would be about as severe a test of his radio
tracking transmitters as one could get.
Three members of his research crew were checking the transmitters. They ha=
d
located one large croc with a transmitter. He was basking on a mud-bank bu=
t
on the other side of the river. They were trying to see whether the
transmitter was still firmly attached. Climbed up a mangrove leaning over
the water. But even with binoculars weren't able to be sure.
One researcher said that he'd heard that if you splash a leafy branch in th=
e
water, it will attract a crocodile. Sounds like a distressed fish. They do
that and the croc lifts his head then waddles down to the water, swims out =
a
few metres then disappears.
Shortly after, the croc's head breaks the surface immediately below their
tree, pauses for a fraction of a second, then the croc launches into the ai=
r
at the lowest bloke on the Mangrove. The only thing that saved him was a
small branch on the trunk that deflected the strike.
I remember seeing a note about it that Professor Messel wrote for a
scientific journal, but regrettably I've long since forgotten where.
Cheers
Syd
-----------------
> From: Martyn Stewart <>
> Reply-To:
> Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 11:47:13 -0700
> To:
> Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] Re: Frogs & Unknown "Rustle" (food for
> thought)
>
>
>
> I remember once recording in Africa along the Mara River, I was
> scanning the area for anything that would be dangerous with night
> vision and only saw hippo etc, as I placed my microphones along the
> embankment a croc dived out at me, I forgot the night vision was
> useless and should have shone a light in the eyes, the croc pulled
> back into the water pulling my cable and microphones with it!
> Thermal imaging cameras are useless too as they are cold blooded
> animals!! Trust your instincts not your gadgets :)
>
>
>
>
>
> Martyn
> *************************************
> Martyn Stewart
> http://www.naturesound.org
"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause
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