Openmouthed Saltie for satosphere
This one is on the request by Sathish aka satosphere.
Here we have the saltie with his cavernous mouth fully open. Most people see crocs just in two positions. Lazing around with not a movement and with the mouth open or closed. Crocodiles are cold-blooded (ectothermic, as they say) and need to get heat from outside. For this thermoregulation, they move between colder and warmer areas and keep their mouth open or closed and adjust the body temperature.
While humans, in fact all mammals and birds, are warm-blooded and our bodies produce internal heat to maintain optimal temperature, crocs cannot. However one big advantage, the crocs have is that they don't have to eat as frequently as we do because of this. They can go for months without food.
Crocs which live in muddy and dirty conditions have one of the best immune systems in the animal world. There is an antibiotic in their blood which is supereffective making them withstand infections that can be dangerous otherwise. However, stress levels seems to affect this immunoresponse badly. That is one reason we see keepers, and Steve Irwin, go to enormous lengths to minimise stress for them whenever they have to be handled for shifting. Stressed animals get infected easily with germs which they can withstand normally.
Comments and faves
Reciprocity (77 months ago | reply)
Amazing stuff Pandiyan and really interesting. I think the crocs are getting so used to you now that they smile when they see you.
Keep it up!
Reciprocity added this photo to his favorites. (77 months ago)
Pandiyan (77 months ago | reply)
That might be so. In that case, I just hope that crocodile smile is not the same as crocodile tears! Thanks, Alan, for your constant encouragement.
MalayalaM (77 months ago | reply)
wow! this is a great shot.
annabellafranc [deleted] (77 months ago | reply)
An amazing shot !!!
Contremo (77 months ago | reply)
Scary
(1-2-3 Nature)
skyseeker (77 months ago | reply)
Wow!
Calovi (77 months ago | reply)
The nature is incredible... this creature exists for millenniums.
Deepinon (77 months ago | reply)
Lovely white teeth. Not bad for a croc !
Nicola Whitaker (77 months ago | reply)
This is brilliant. Let's hope that no one is near him on a hungry day.
baby7 (77 months ago | reply)
WAW!!!quality shot
Skyburst added this photo to his favorites. (77 months ago)
Skyburst (77 months ago | reply)
Bl**dy Hell!! scared the living daylights out of me in large size ;-) well done to the Master of these Croc shots.
(1-2-3 Nature)
Steve.
jah~ (77 months ago | reply)
Keep up the great work. I don't think I can even get shots this good from the Disovery channel. Move over Jeff Corwin!
Pandiyan (77 months ago | reply)
Thanks friends.
Come on, John. I really enjoyed watching Jeff Corwin. The guy is terrific. So were folks like Mark O'shea, Steve Irwin and not to forget 'Shark' Gordon. My son was brought up on diet of all these wonderful adventurers.
Steve & Nicola- Yes, crocs are pretty scary. Getting inside a croc pit gives a weird feeling. Your senses become pretty alert. Though it is not as dangerous as one imagines, it does give an uneasy sensation. Though you are with some experienced keepers it is still unsettling. I have seen a small mugger challenge Arun once; one croc gave a bit of a chase and my wife had to get out of the pit in a hurry. Of course, all this was not in this pit with this saltie. He is pretty mean and fierce. We are not allowed inside this pit. Only Arun has gone in a few times.
frogmuseum2 (77 months ago | reply)
Great shot, Pandiyan! I, too, am a fan of Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin: despite what they are doing, they seem to be a tad goofy and they have such fun doing what they do!
eclectic echoes (77 months ago | reply)
What a great gape!
While they are scary, they are also beautiful, magnificent creatures which comes through in your photos and descriptions. Thank you! (I must admit though, I admire your son, Arun is far braver than I...I'd rather work with sharks and morays than crocs anyday!)
Thanks for the great comments on Tortilla Time. One of my erliest memories is of Chapati when I was a toddler (maybe 2 years old?). Both my parents were in University and I often spent the afternoons with family friends who were from India. He was a university student, she cared for their own two children plus me in the afternoons. The smell of fresh cooking chapati (and tortillas so similr the recipe) is a great comfort to me.
Supriya O (77 months ago | reply)
Excellent shot,Pandiyan..
jah~ (77 months ago | reply)
Okay I guess there is room in the world for all of you guys!
I think my fave is Austin Stevens the 'Snakemaster.' This guy is unbelievable. And a photographer by trade, so in his shows you get little 'snapshots' or freeze frames of the video. But you've prolly seen all his episodes too.
About the closest I get to a dangerous beast is my cat in the morning when he's hungry ;-)
elledino (77 months ago | reply)
Be careful. I have been told that when chased by an alligator, you should run in a zig-zag pattern to throw him off your trail. I don't know if that applies to corocs, though.
Pandiyan (77 months ago | reply)
Thanks everyone for your visit and interesting comments.
frogmuseum - Shall I call you Mike? Yes, their shows have become popular partly because of their goofiness. But one should really admire their guts and passion.
Eric - Arun would like go for shark diving and such. But as of now we are unable to do that. He learnt swimming with that in mind!
Thanks Supriya. I hope your soft sensibilities and fascination for delicate flowers and gentle animals are not too spiked with discussions and photos here.
John - We are off Discovery Channel & Nat Geo for the last couple of years and I haven't seen Austin Stevens.
elledino - Adam Britton of Discovery says categorically that when you run away just run quickly to safe ground and not waste time running zigzag. They are not fast enough to catch you running but they have the surprise element and can strike fast.
One more shot Rog added this photo to his favorites. (77 months ago)
eclectic echoes (77 months ago | reply)
Arun is an amazing kid!
If we can hand over anything worth keeping to kids like him and Johann there is hope yet.
Pandiyan (77 months ago | reply)
I am optimistic.
Ravages (77 months ago | reply)
Really scary big size. And as usual, loads of interesting information Pandiyan.
Pandiyan (77 months ago | reply)
Thanks Ravages.
satosphere (77 months ago | reply)
Nice shot.
Sorry for the late reply - grad school really bogs me down.
Amazing how close you got to it.
Ah. For a sunny day :(
Pandiyan (77 months ago | reply)
Glad you could see this.
Razzy Raz (77 months ago | reply)
Absolutely magnificent photograph. Beautiful
Razzy Raz added this photo to his favorites. (77 months ago)
Pandiyan (77 months ago | reply)
Thanks Sean.
bosorka [deleted] (76 months ago | reply)
A fearsome looking creature!
Pandiyan (75 months ago | reply)
Thanks bosorka. Sorry I am a little late in responding. I have been frightfully busy in the last few weeks.
Chairman_Meow added this photo to his favorites. (71 months ago)
GeoWombats (69 months ago | reply)
I love your croc shots! I've blogged another one at
crikeymatemosaic.wordpress.com. Thank you!
Quintin1, wildebor, buzzman20012002us, gotlieb.concetta, and 2 other people added this photo to their favorites.
senior bonito (40 months ago | reply)
Sehr gute Aufnahme!
nn69 and Zachi Evenor added this photo to their favorites.
Zachi Evenor (31 months ago | reply)
Nice one!
Colette~ and ewaldmario added this photo to their favorites.