Posts tagged Crocodile

how do you KNOW people were killed by gustave the crocodile? Couldn't it all be urban legend? — Asked by Anonymous

Well, yeah, as far as Nat Geo’s sources are all urban legend. As there are records of crocodiles eating humans throughout the history of, um, history, I’m pretty sure Gustave has partaken in more than his fair share of fleshmeats, especially given the overfishing of his river in Burundi.

I mean, really, National Geographic could be 100% urban legend and no fact, but from what I’ve independently investigated and corroborated with sources I believe to be credible, I’m pretty sure it isn’t.

For all I know, unicorns and pixies and leprechauns and hydras exist. Sometimes what’s called a “fact” is repeated and supposedly true speculation. Maybe other crocodiles have eaten humans in Gustave’s range (several have been hunted after children have gone missing and found to have human remains in their stomach). Maybe Gustave is multiple crocs. Reality is hard to suss out sometimes. But I’m pretty sure he’s real, and he’s just one individual, one human-flesh-loving individual.

“Happy Dreams”: A Sleeping Crocodile Nile Crocodile - Crocodylus niloticus Nile crocodiles are the largest crocodilian (and reptile) in Africa, and are second in size only to saltwater crocodiles (Steve Irwin’s salties!), which are native to Australia and its surrounding seas. However, saltwater crocodiles, while aggressive, don’t have the tendency to turn out “man hunters” like the Nile crocodiles do. This is largely because the Australian coastline is protected enough that native prey is still available at a level where predatory animals can survive. Nile crocodiles, however, do not have this advantage; the majority of the Nile crocodile range (aside from central Africa) has a high degree of overfishing and pollution of the freshwater rivers, to the point that some Nile crocs have turned to humans as a source of food. One of these “man-eaters” is named Gustave - believed to be between 40 to 60 years old, he weighs about one ton (2000 lbs or ~900 kg), and is known to have eaten at least 300 humans in his lifetime. If sources with uncertain credibility are taken into account, he may have eaten upwards of 800 humans, including over 200 able-bodied adult males. Gustave’s home range is a section of the Ruzizi river near the border of Burundi and Rwanda, where several other “man-eating” crocodiles are known to live. Due to the ongoing civil wars that have been taking place in that region, people have been driven to the rivers as a sole source of food (as crop farms were frequently raided and/or burned), and the local terrestrial fauna has also been greatly reduced. Gustave’s attacks are only known to have begun around 30 years ago, though he would have been large enough to easily kill a human around 4-5 years of age. This puts his consumption of people as a direct result of the changing dietary habits of civilians, during the times of civil unrest. The Uganda Protectorate. Sir Harry Johnston, 1902.

“Happy Dreams”: A Sleeping Crocodile

Nile Crocodile - Crocodylus niloticus

Nile crocodiles are the largest crocodilian (and reptile) in Africa, and are second in size only to saltwater crocodiles (Steve Irwin’s salties!), which are native to Australia and its surrounding seas.

However, saltwater crocodiles, while aggressive, don’t have the tendency to turn out “man hunters” like the Nile crocodiles do. This is largely because the Australian coastline is protected enough that native prey is still available at a level where predatory animals can survive. Nile crocodiles, however, do not have this advantage; the majority of the Nile crocodile range (aside from central Africa) has a high degree of overfishing and pollution of the freshwater rivers, to the point that some Nile crocs have turned to humans as a source of food.

One of these “man-eaters” is named Gustave - believed to be between 40 to 60 years old, he weighs about one ton (2000 lbs or ~900 kg), and is known to have eaten at least 300 humans in his lifetime. If sources with uncertain credibility are taken into account, he may have eaten upwards of 800 humans, including over 200 able-bodied adult males. Gustave’s home range is a section of the Ruzizi river near the border of Burundi and Rwanda, where several other “man-eating” crocodiles are known to live. Due to the ongoing civil wars that have been taking place in that region, people have been driven to the rivers as a sole source of food (as crop farms were frequently raided and/or burned), and the local terrestrial fauna has also been greatly reduced. Gustave’s attacks are only known to have begun around 30 years ago, though he would have been large enough to easily kill a human around 4-5 years of age. This puts his consumption of people as a direct result of the changing dietary habits of civilians, during the times of civil unrest.

The Uganda Protectorate. Sir Harry Johnston, 1902.

Could we see some skeletal and muscular illustrations of the nile crocodile? — Asked by brainstormthepaleoform

….aaaand clearly I need to start copying my replies before submitting them, because presumably tumblr is waging war against missing e. :|

ANYWAY - wish I had some or could find some, but there aren’t many out there. You can find the jaws and skulls at Scientific Illustration. An interesting point about the 3-chambered/4-chambered heart of the crocodile can be found here, if you didn’t already know that fact.

Most of the crocodilian is bone and cartilage. The only part that has major muscle development is the tail, but boy does it ever. Still, I can’t find any illustrations of the tail muscles, so if anyone out there has some, feel free to point me  in their direction.

dendroica: n526_w1150 by BioDivLibrary on Flickr. Via Flickr: Herrn de la Cepede’s Naturgeschichte der Amphibien. v.1. Weimar :Verlage des Industrie = Comptoir’s,1800-1802.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/24559

dendroica:

n526_w1150 by BioDivLibrary on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Herrn de la Cepede’s Naturgeschichte der Amphibien. v.1.
Weimar :Verlage des Industrie = Comptoir’s,1800-1802.
biodiversitylibrary.org/item/24559

Nature is brutal. Solitary tiger vs. African elephant! Boa constrictor vs. crocodile! Swordfish vs. everything aquatic! It’s a veritable SPIKE TV show! Hunting Big Game in the Wilds of Africa, Containing the Thrilling Adventures of the Famous Roosevelt Expedition. J. Martin Miller, 1909.

Nature is brutal.

Solitary tiger vs. African elephant!

Boa constrictor vs. crocodile!

Swordfish vs. everything aquatic!

It’s a veritable SPIKE TV show!

Hunting Big Game in the Wilds of Africa, Containing the Thrilling Adventures of the Famous Roosevelt Expedition. J. Martin Miller, 1909.

Animaux perdus [“Lost Animals” - colloquial term for extinct creatures] *kercrunch* Dictionnaire Pittoresque d’Histoire Naturelle et des Phenomenes de la Nature. F. E. Guerin, 1833.

Animaux perdus [“Lost Animals” - colloquial term for extinct creatures]

*kercrunch*

Dictionnaire Pittoresque d’Histoire Naturelle et des Phenomenes de la Nature. F. E. Guerin, 1833.

Stumpfkrokodil [Dwarf Crocodile] The dwarf crocodile is the smallest extant crocodilian species, generally reaching only five feet (1.5 m) long or so. Though they no longer live along the Nile River, there have been confirmed skeletons/mummies of dwarf crocodiles in the areas surrounding the sacred lakes at temples devoted to the god Sobek.  Sobek was a frightening god to many Egyptians; he was a literal deification of the crocodile itself. This was an animal that could easily incite fear, and lived within the river that the Egyptians relied upon so heavily. According to legend, he rose out of the waters of Chaos to create the world. But in many places, that was not the important aspect; it was much more important that he was the crocodile god. People hoped that by praying and making sacrifices to him, they would be safe from harm by his minions/children. Brehms Tierleben. Alfred Brehm, 1911.

Stumpfkrokodil [Dwarf Crocodile]

The dwarf crocodile is the smallest extant crocodilian species, generally reaching only five feet (1.5 m) long or so. Though they no longer live along the Nile River, there have been confirmed skeletons/mummies of dwarf crocodiles in the areas surrounding the sacred lakes at temples devoted to the god Sobek. 

Sobek was a frightening god to many Egyptians; he was a literal deification of the crocodile itself. This was an animal that could easily incite fear, and lived within the river that the Egyptians relied upon so heavily. According to legend, he rose out of the waters of Chaos to create the world. But in many places, that was not the important aspect; it was much more important that he was the crocodile god. People hoped that by praying and making sacrifices to him, they would be safe from harm by his minions/children.

Brehms Tierleben. Alfred Brehm, 1911.

Contraception in ancient Egypt: Crocodile dung, mixed with sour milk, rolled into a pessary, and inserted into the vagina.

Well…it would keep any amorous encounters to a minimum…

But! The acid in crocodile dung is strong enough to be an effective spermicide, even without the fact that, well, there’s crocodile crap in your vagina. The sour milk made the dung more easily pliable and contributed to the acidity; water would have diluted it, and using fresh milk would have been a waste of food.

The Crocodiles of Upper Nile River and Central Africa The Nile crocodile competes with the smaller slender-snouted crocodile (upper left skull) in part of its environment, and with the dwarf crocodile (not pictured) in other parts. It’s one of only two crocodilians (the other being the saltwater croc) that can legitimately be called “man-eating” - they live in close proximity to people and end up killing several hundred a year, many for the express purpose of consumption (not in defense or over territorial protection, like most species). In ancient Egypt, the demoness of the judgement hall, Ammut, had the head of a crocodile. She was the “devourer of the dead”, and ate the hearts of evildoers deemed unworthy. The crocodile was also considered sacred to the god Sobek, and the temples to Sobek typically had sacred lakes, where crocodiles were fed and cared for. **Don’t forget that the Upper Nile is actually the Southern part - it flows into the Mediterranean, northwards.

The Crocodiles of Upper Nile River and Central Africa

The Nile crocodile competes with the smaller slender-snouted crocodile (upper left skull) in part of its environment, and with the dwarf crocodile (not pictured) in other parts. It’s one of only two crocodilians (the other being the saltwater croc) that can legitimately be called “man-eating” - they live in close proximity to people and end up killing several hundred a year, many for the express purpose of consumption (not in defense or over territorial protection, like most species).

In ancient Egypt, the demoness of the judgement hall, Ammut, had the head of a crocodile. She was the “devourer of the dead”, and ate the hearts of evildoers deemed unworthy. The crocodile was also considered sacred to the god Sobek, and the temples to Sobek typically had sacred lakes, where crocodiles were fed and cared for.

**Don’t forget that the Upper Nile is actually the Southern part - it flows into the Mediterranean, northwards.

Alligator and Crocodile Embryos. Can I just say how adorable these are? Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, Volume XI. 1885.

Alligator and Crocodile Embryos.

Can I just say how adorable these are?

Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, Volume XI. 1885.

I know it looks like a deformed hog/polar bear lovechild is eating a cross between a mole and an opossum, but it’s actually a hippo attacking a Nile crocodile, as hippos are wont to do from time to time. “L’histoire naturelle des estranges poissons marin, avec le vrai peincture & description du Daulphin, & de plusiers autres de son espace.” by Pierre Belon, 1551.

I know it looks like a deformed hog/polar bear lovechild is eating a cross between a mole and an opossum, but it’s actually a hippo attacking a Nile crocodile, as hippos are wont to do from time to time.

“L’histoire naturelle des estranges poissons marin, avec le vrai peincture & description du Daulphin, & de plusiers autres de son espace.” by Pierre Belon, 1551.