Reptilian Rumble in the Jungle…Or could it just be romance?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at 10:13PM There’s no denying it: crocodiles are bizarre creatures. There’s been so much croc-action-at-Kulafumbi recently (sounds like something out of a hyped-up TV programme, doesn’t it?). Every day we hear their crashing in the reeds and the deep guttural hiss-roar that crocodiles make, and if we’re quick, we catch a glimpse of them as they chase each other at great speed from the reeds into the open river, when inevitably one will turn tail.
As you may remember from our earlier discussions back in 2007, it can be tricky to tell whether these great toothy reptiles are courting or fighting…Recently however, the crocodiles have appeared so overly aggressive, I can only think they really are fighting.
The other day one clutched the other’s snout between its jaws and simply would not let go (“Ow!” say I).
Check out these two, in action earlier today…if I was the smaller crocodile, I think I’d also be getting out the way of that evil-looking monster as fast as my legs could carry me…
The Yellow-billed Storks definitely follow the smaller crocodiles around (or vice versa?) to find the best fishing grounds.
Strangely enough, even though they compete for fish, the crocodiles don’t appear to mind the storks at all, although these two “minnows” don’t seem to like each other too much.
I told you these creatures are unfathomable…Look at these two: far from being aggressive, they seem inseparable, following each other around, nose to tail (or nose to nose at times) and clambering all over each other…They’re only about four foot long, so hardly ready to mate…so what are they doing? Are they siblings? Or “just good friends”?
This stork seems to be pushing its luck...Not content to fish around the small crocodile, it starts gingerly prodding, poking and biting the crocodile’s tail. The crocodile doesn’t give a hoot, but when it moves, the stork gets a bit of a fright.
A Marabou Stork arrives to see what all the commotion is about, but all it finds is two loved-up little crocs and a Yellow-billed Stork not too sure of what to do next.
Now, let me take you to the other end of the reptilian spectrum, from those that grow to ten feet or more, to these little fellows who are only 10 cm long…The geckos in our house are behaving as aggressively as the crocodiles in the river below, but again, it is not so easy to tell whether they be fighting or they be courting…
You can see how one of the geckos has lost its tail – perhaps from fighting or escaping some predator’s clutch – but it’s steadily re-growing again. As usual, never a dull moment here at Kulafumbi…
Reader Comments (5)
What lovely photos Tanya. Have the rains hit yet?
We've been waiting patiently for an update. Great pictures, Steve Irwin would love the croc-action ! At first I thought the crocs were very big but then you see the stork next to them and you see the actual size. Very beautiful stork, this one. Looks a lot different from the ones here in the Netherlands. Can you give us an updat on the possible polution of the river you had a while ago ?
Audrey
Fantastic photos, as usual! Even the marabou stork looks beautiful! And nice to hear something about crocodiles which illustrates that they are more complex than the simple, aggressive gnu-munchers they are usually portrayed as! More please!
Hello All! Great to see you here, you long-suffering, loyal readers of my blog...I do apologize for being so erratic with my posting.
Imogen, we've had a couple of days of rain (which is strange for this time of year, as February is the height of the dry season, but the rains having failed so miserably in November, we're happy for anything we can get...)
Audrey - hi and thanks for your Christmas card, which just reached us this week!! The crocodiles in the top five photos are big ones (well, big for this river - although they would not be all that big if side by side with the giant "gnu-munchers" in the Mara, as Nikki calls them!). The ones with the stork are obviously much smaller - only about a metre or a metre and a half long.
Nikki, thanks for the compliments...I'm hoping to do a longer blog post this weekend....
Yeah that seems like a fight among male crocodiles for mating..Its found in every species..You have to fight for your right..
But the pics are very rare..HAts off to you for taking these pics..
Shobin
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