Big Salty

[Rod]

Taken last week at Borroloola (NT, Australia ). It measured 6.325 meters (21 feet) and weighed in at 1855 kilos (4081 lb). That's a big lizard! It started annoying one of the local Barramundi fisherman by eating the prop off his outboard. He reckons it was circling the 5 metre tinny for 20 minutes before the decision to kill it was made by him and a very frightened decky.

[keef]

That's a biggie alright Rod! The large salties are never far from your mind up here Tropical North Queensland. Especially when you love fishing like I do. I know Ben (Milbourne) has had quite a few croc encounters whilst out fishing. We had the beach closed here at Townsville a couple weeks ago due to a Salty sighting. And the Ross River creek flows literally 100m from our back garden so our Golden Retriever is on strict orders not to jump in for a swim! Great pics mate, Keith

[pcsb23]

Yep one big lizard allright :D

[Eddie]

That sucker is huge!

[brewmaster15]

Now thats a Reptile!:):) I'd love seeing one that big...with a telephoto lens:D....Here in the USA we have gators that are dwarfs compared to that critter.. and we do have salties also.. they are rare, largely found in the Everglades and Keys...Even these can't hold a candle to to crocs you Mates run into there.

Gives new meaning to "JAWS"

-al

[keef]

Hey Al - that's interesting you have Estuarine crocs in the everglades & keys. Do you know how they got there? I thought it'd be well out of their natural range. Were they introduced, like escaped pets or something?

[brewmaster15]

Hey Al - that's interesting you have Estuarine crocs in the everglades & keys. Do you know how they got there? I thought it'd be well out of their natural range. Were they introduced, like escaped pets or something?

They are at their Northern most range there.. The American Crocodile ranges along the coastlines south of there in Mexico, South America and some of the tropical Islands.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw157

Oddly, They tend to be more Shy of Humans than their bigger relatives other Parts of the world.

Still a neat sight...Theres not too many places where you can see Alligators and Crocs overlapping range like that.... I've seen them in The everglades And we have Croc crossing signs in The Keys to protect them...there biggest enemy here Ironically...are Cars.:( and they are considered endangered.

-al

[Disgirl]

Wonder what Steve Irwin would say! Where I work, with Stingrays, people still talk about him all the time.
Barb

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Wow, talk about a living dinosaur! Definetly a big lizard.

-Ryan

[phatdave]

Thats alot of meat. Are they good to BBQ?



Dave

[Eddie]

Thats alot of meat. Are they good to BBQ?



Dave

I bet its good on the barbie. Had some fried gator before and it was DELICIOUS!

Eddie

[Discus-n00b]

I was about to say Al, we have gators...and I thought they looked giant, but next to this thing...wow they are dwarves! I'd also like to see one of those in person.

[Rod]

That's a biggie alright Rod! The large salties are never far from your mind up here Tropical North Queensland. Especially when you love fishing like I do. I know Ben (Milbourne) has had quite a few croc encounters whilst out fishing. We had the beach closed here at Townsville a couple weeks ago due to a Salty sighting. And the Ross River creek flows literally 100m from our back garden so our Golden Retriever is on strict orders not to jump in for a swim! Great pics mate, Keith

Scary mate, have to be a big boat before i'd go fishing up there. A few years ago one of the professional aquarium fish collectors was taken by a croc near Gove in NT. He used to get the best supply of corallimorphs, but in well known croc country.


Now thats a Reptile!:):) I'd love seeing one that big...with a telephoto lens:D....Here in the USA we have gators that are dwarfs compared to that critter.. and we do have salties also.. they are rare, largely found in the Everglades and Keys...Even these can't hold a candle to to crocs you Mates run into there.

Gives new meaning to "JAWS"

-al

Awesome animals, i've never seen one in the wild, though seen plenty at zoos and croc farms. The numbers were dwindling due to hunting for the skins, the leather is valuable apparently. But they have been protected since 1972 and rebounded quite well in most places. Now they farm them for the leather and the meat.


Thats alot of meat. Are they good to BBQ?

Dave

I've tried croc meat before and it was pretty good i thought( chicken :D ). Not commonly eaten here though, aussies tend to be pretty conservative when it comes to meat. Cows, sheep, pigs and chickens is the main ones. We have kangaroos everywhere, and our family sometimes eat that. Roo stew is pretty good and roo roast is good too ( kinda like beef but more gamey stronger flavour). And i mix roo meat into the discus mix (roo is one of the leanest meats) which the discus love.

[Jason K.]

now that could make alot of boots!

[Scribbles]

Now that's one way to keep the door to door salesmen away!

Chris