Comments on: Oz’s Out-Of-Place Croc

By: Matthewcardier

Matthewcardier — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:38:21 +0000

Would be great if that is what it is.

Cryptidsaurus, speak for yourself. I live less than 100km away from there, and very close to the Brisbane River. A mate of mine a few years ago commented on the huge size of a water lizard he saw on the river near Citykat (river water ferry). I don’t know about crocs, but I know Bull Sharks are a problem in the Gold Coast canals.

By: DWA

DWA — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:09:34 +0000

Regardless the photo: evidence indicates the possibility is there. (Regardless the 99% – and I know my animals – that photo is very inconclusive as to what that is.)

Look at manatees on the US east coast. Salties range, too.

The only mind to keep on this is an open one. As a matter of fact, Cook’s statement is incomprehensible to me, for a scientist. “Highly improbable” has happened too many times.

Saying it is possible is not saying it happened, people! And there isn’t a scrap of anything on which to hang a probability assessment. Stick to science. (It’s much more fun than cynicism.) It could happen. You don’t have to acknowledge it as the truth to acknowledge that.

By: dogu4

dogu4 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:54:29 +0000

Mabye it’s a sign that the crocs are expanding back to their original range.
Most observed ranges of species are based upon historical records, though those historical records are pretty spotty and in many cases were never even started until well after early settlers, both indigenous and modern arrivals, had been living in that land, and presumably impacting it in ways that could have constrained the proliferation of species. In a slightly twisted example, to illustrate how our records have been interpreted, the passenger pigeon, though now extinct, is regularly considered to have been extraordinarily prolific across its range based on the early historic records of what we might call modern observers or naturalists. The very earliest transects through that same land recorded huge numbers of people (whose numbers were later decimated repeatedly by newly encountered diseases), and archaeological research into the middens of these now empty village sites show that in early days they ate a lot of wild animals, but as they matured they ate fewer and fewer. The presumption is that the indegenous people, when they werel well established and populous were constraining the proliferation of animal species that they would have naturally harvested to the best of their ability (notions of respect for the balance of nature, not withstanding). It was, afterall, well over 200 years between the first contact(DeSoto 1540) and the period when European settlers in general and modern naturalists in particular finally made it into the hinterland of eastern North America (Audubon 1810). That’s a long time for a species, released from its constraints to proliferate so much so they could overrun their range, and it appears passenger pigeons may have actually been doing that based on reports of their impacts in those groves where they habitually roosted.

By: David-Australia

David-Australia — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:54:00 +0000

“Bring me some more crocodile sightings – and make it snappy . . . !”

By: Thy

Thy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:16:53 +0000

I’m pretty sure there are historical reports of crocs wandering as far south as Coffs Harbour in NSW, though they would be unable to raise young this far south.

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:31:45 +0000

Looks like a Croc to me. The scaling on the back LOOKS “crockish.”

But then, what do I know??? I’m not an “Expert.” Sheesh.

Would be great if that is what it is…:)