Tue May 27, 2008
BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- A city official says an expert is searching for a crocodile spotted in a river in central Germany.
Hildesheim city spokesman Horst Richter says two municipal employees got a five-minute glimpse of the reptile Monday on a backwater of the Innerste river. The roughly 2 1/2-foot (80-centimeter) animal then disappeared into the brush.
Richter said Tuesday the employees' account was credible because one of them was an avid reptile enthusiast.
It was not immediately clear whether the animal was a crocodile, an alligator or a caiman. The reptile may have been purchased as a pet and released into the river.
Richter says the city has recruited an animal control expert to search for the beast. He says the backwater it was seen in is not open to the public for swimming.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Friday, 6 June 2008
Up close and personal
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Yes she is real and not tethered in any way... It's the first time I had felt the skin of a real live croc. It was incredible!
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Alligator stops play - BBC news
Alligator stops play
28 March 2008
The world's best golfers are used to coming under attack from a Tiger - but this could be the first time an alligator has hampered their chances.
"Does that count as an immovable hazard?"
First-round play at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans was halted when the large reptile invaded the fairway.
Credit must go to Davis Love III, a man so calm that his first move was to take a photo of the beast on his mobile.
But under golf's rules, Love could be in more trouble than the 'gator - aren't phones banned on the fairways?
Still, the players should be grateful for small mercies. The pitch-invader was a mere slip of a crocodilian compared to the 5.8m-long monster found in Marsh Island in the same state a few years back.
And would Love have been so keen to stick around if he had known that fatal attacks from alligators in the US are on the up - from a mere nine between 1970 and 2000 to 11 in the five years between 2001 and 2006 alone?
28 March 2008
The world's best golfers are used to coming under attack from a Tiger - but this could be the first time an alligator has hampered their chances.
"Does that count as an immovable hazard?"
First-round play at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans was halted when the large reptile invaded the fairway.
Credit must go to Davis Love III, a man so calm that his first move was to take a photo of the beast on his mobile.
But under golf's rules, Love could be in more trouble than the 'gator - aren't phones banned on the fairways?
Still, the players should be grateful for small mercies. The pitch-invader was a mere slip of a crocodilian compared to the 5.8m-long monster found in Marsh Island in the same state a few years back.
And would Love have been so keen to stick around if he had known that fatal attacks from alligators in the US are on the up - from a mere nine between 1970 and 2000 to 11 in the five years between 2001 and 2006 alone?
From the BBC...
Snake bursts after gobbling gator
5 October 2005
The predators died in the clash
An unusual clash between a 6-foot (1.8m) alligator and a 13-foot (3.9m) python has left two of the deadliest predators dead in Florida's swamps.
The Burmese python tried to swallow its fearsome rival whole but then exploded.
The remains of the two giant reptiles were found by astonished rangers in the Everglades National Park.
The rangers say the find suggests that non-native Burmese pythons might even challenge alligators' leading position in the food chain in the swamps.
The python's remains were found with the victim's tail protruding from its burst midsection. The head of the python was missing.
"Encounters like that are almost never seen in the wild... And here we are," Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
"They were probably evenly matched in size. If the python got a good grip on the alligator before the alligator got a good grip on him, he could win," Professor Mazzotti said.
He said the alligator may have clawed at the python's stomach, leading it to burst.
"Clearly, if they can kill an alligator they can kill other species," Prof Mazzotti said.
He said that there had been four known encounters between the two species in the past. In the other cases, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.
Burmese pythons - many of whom have been dumped by their owners - have thrived in the wet and hot climate of Florida's swamps over the past 20 years.
5 October 2005
The predators died in the clash
An unusual clash between a 6-foot (1.8m) alligator and a 13-foot (3.9m) python has left two of the deadliest predators dead in Florida's swamps.
The Burmese python tried to swallow its fearsome rival whole but then exploded.
The remains of the two giant reptiles were found by astonished rangers in the Everglades National Park.
The rangers say the find suggests that non-native Burmese pythons might even challenge alligators' leading position in the food chain in the swamps.
The python's remains were found with the victim's tail protruding from its burst midsection. The head of the python was missing.
"Encounters like that are almost never seen in the wild... And here we are," Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
"They were probably evenly matched in size. If the python got a good grip on the alligator before the alligator got a good grip on him, he could win," Professor Mazzotti said.
He said the alligator may have clawed at the python's stomach, leading it to burst.
"Clearly, if they can kill an alligator they can kill other species," Prof Mazzotti said.
He said that there had been four known encounters between the two species in the past. In the other cases, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.
Burmese pythons - many of whom have been dumped by their owners - have thrived in the wet and hot climate of Florida's swamps over the past 20 years.
The Explanation - or the Excuse...
I have been collecting crocodile related items for about 20 years and accordingly have quite a large and eclectic selection.
I have no idea why I started collecting but it has become a part of my life, just as I need my eyes, I need my croc's!
I cannot resist EBay - it is the source of some of the most weird and wonderful crocodilia - and I find my collection growing steadily while my bank balance does the opposite...
But in the iconic word's of the lovely Steve Irwin "Croc's Rule!"
And in my world they surely do.
I have no idea why I started collecting but it has become a part of my life, just as I need my eyes, I need my croc's!
I cannot resist EBay - it is the source of some of the most weird and wonderful crocodilia - and I find my collection growing steadily while my bank balance does the opposite...
But in the iconic word's of the lovely Steve Irwin "Croc's Rule!"
And in my world they surely do.
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