When you holiday in the Northern Territory, it is wise to check with Parks and Wildlife centres to find out where it is safe to get into the water. There are water leisure centres and tours to keep you safe from the saltwater croc. Visit a crocodile park or farm; they allow you to hold a baby croc. They are very soft and cold to the touch. Help feed the small and large crocodiles. Get some great photos. Read the following to find out what you may not know about the 'salty'.
1. A saltwater crocodile has 65 teeth.
Their teeth are sharp-pointed, inter-locking and are perpetually replaced. A single croc might grow up to 3,000 teeth in its lifetime. How amazing is that? A small bird hops right into the prehistoric estuarine Crocodile's mouth and cleans its teeth.
2. A saltwater crocodile swallows stones and pebbles
It is believed the purpose of this is to give them ballast when diving, and are often ingested to aid digestion - crushing food by a grinding action within the gizzard of the stomach. 'Kill two birds with one stone!'
3. A saltwater crocodile can and will walk hundreds of kilometers overland.
Because Northern Australia has some small, inoffensive crocodiles restricted to brackish or fresh water, most people think all inland crocodiles are freshwater crocodiles. That is very misleading. It can and has lulled people taking great risks in what are now unsafe places as they know the freshwater crocodile to be usually harmless,unless provoked. The saltwater crocodile starts its life in brackish or fresh water, and only travels out to the ocean when it is almost fully grown to search for new territory.
4. A saltwater crocodile can and will swim in from ocean estuaries hundreds of kilometers
They swim into freshwater tributaries, lagoons, swamps and rivers. Saltwater crocodiles have been known to live there for the rest of their lives. So, do not think that they are only in the ocean.
5. A saltwater crocodile has heavily ossified scales along its back referred to as the armor.
Their scales are the same substance that hooves and nails are made from; keratin. One of the main functions of crocodile scales is for their protection.
6. The saltwater breeding female crocodile will cool her eggs with water carried by her mouth to the nest or spray urine on them.
In the breeding season between September to May, the female builds a nest of a scratched up pile of rotting plant matter and mud or sand. She lays about 30 to 90 eggs and covers them with more of the same material. They are incubated for 3 months. The saltwater crocodile lays in the wet season and many nests are destroyed by floodwaters.
7. The saltwater breeding female crocodile will gather the hatchlings in her mouth.
When she hears the babies chirping, she digs them out of the nest and carefully carries them to the water's edge in her mouth. She will watch over them until they can look after themselves.
8. A saltwater male crocodile is cannibalistic.
Juvenile crocodiles are eaten by the territorial mature males. Even with the mother's care, only about 20% survive to maturity, as goannas, snakes, sharks, birds and turtles will eat them, also.
9. The saltwater crocodile has a strong muscular tail that it uses to propel itself forward
All the propulsion and steering comes from the paddling of the flattened tail.
10. Crocodile culling was last done in 1971 in the Northern Territory.
Saltwater crocodiles are now, unfortunately, becoming a public menace as their numbers increase. They have increased in the Northern Territory from about 5,000 to 80,000 in 38 years, and they are moving closer to residential areas.
Is it up to us to stay out of their way? After all, these animals held unchallenged dominion over equatorial wetlands and waterways for 65 million years after dinosaurs had gone.
It is the larger crocodile that breeds and it would be these big ones that the crocodile hunter would target. The Parks and Wildlife have taken many large dangerous saltwater crocodiles away from areas that humans also frequent. They have been known to return within a few weeks, unless they are taken to a crocodile farm. It has been said, by interested parties, that even if dozens of crocodiles were culled, how can it be guaranteed that just one crocodile will not come into a proclaimed safe area. It only takes one reptile to kill one person.
To cull or not to cull? This is the question.
When most people think of a Photographic Safari they think of heading out into the African savanna in a land cruiser with the game guide up-front and the guests sitting in the back with their long lenses protruding from the windows and out the sun roof.
Yes, this is exciting but some days you just want to rest at the camp or, like us, you still want to photograph after the sun has set.
If you are visiting African wildlife parks such as the Kruger, Kgalagadi, or Etosha you will be able to take photographs day and night.
What can a visitor photograph from their camp by day?
By day you have hundreds of different birds to photograph from the comfort of your bungalow or tent. In addition there are small mammals such as squirrels and vervet monkeys, reptiles such as lizards and snakes, and many insects from praying mantids to the big, colorful Mopani moths.
In addition to these small creatures we have also photographed the 'Big-five' from the various camps...!
We photographed a lion chasing an impala into the river from our bungalow in Olifants camp. The impala was caught by a crocodile and the lions promptly went after the crocodile to try steal the impala away - exciting wildlife action from the comfort and privacy of our bungalow!
We have also seen elephant and buffalo from most of the Kruger camps and we have seen both rhino and leopard from Berg-en Dal camp in the southern Kruger. We even photographed a crocodile kill from our tent in Lower Sabie camp!
What can a visitor photograph from their camp by night?
At night in the Kruger we have photographed bush babies, civets, genets and other nocturnal creatures such as owls, porcupines, crocodiles and hippos.
If you are staying at Halali or Okaukuejo camps in Etosha you will be spoilt at night as both camps have flood-lit waterholes and there is a constant procession of animals coming to drink. We have seen lions and leopard at Halali and elephants, black rhinos and a lion kill at Okaukuejo waterhole.
The Kgalalgadi Park has unfenced wilderness camps each with its own waterhole and here you get to photograph many different animals drinking at night. In addition, the Kalahari is so remote and dark you are able to photograph the moon as well as superb star-trails.
Just remember to bring your tripod, torch and flash with you!
Mario Fazekas is a wildlife photographer living in South Africa, and the editor of Kruger-2-Kalahari.com. Find more about wildlife photography at his site.
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