Page 69 - Bush 'n Beach Fishing mag

TA thing or two about crocodiles
HE arrival of from the Wenlock Riv- is particularly apparent decent storms er on the west side of with males around the in October and the Cape to Temple Bay 3-3.5m mark.
Cape York
by ‘BILLABONG’ BAZZ LYON
November across much on the east, fitted with You can go to the
of the Cape signalled a likely early onset of the monsoon season – as predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology.
tracks in many places. Crocs often move be- tween the sea and fresh- water creeks (or soaks) slightly back from the beach, probably for a
and it was found that the relevant crocodiles were often leaving the river and travelling across country for a kil- ometre or so to isolated swamps or waterholes.
a satellite tracker and released.
Australia Zoo website australiazoo.com.au to follow the movements of individual crocodiles and the other amazing croc discoveries – it is well worthwhile!
Because the country is initially so dry at this time of year, the first runs in rivers and creeks are not usually sustained and levels drop over the following days.
drink.
These animals have
Given the signs of pigs working over those particular water bod- ies, it’s likely the crocs were laying in ambush for a feast of fresh pork.
That big boy also made his way home, eventually swimming up to the tip, down the west coast and back up the Wenlock to exactly where he was caught!
There is plenty to discover about these remarkable reptiles, including how they keep their ecosystems healthy and balanced – as they do.
However, during a La Niña event, storms are much more likely to be frequent and intense, something to be mind- ful of this year.
lingual glands that rid their bodies of excess salt, however drinking freshwater may also help, though is not es- sential.
Remarkable was that these reptiles apparent- ly have the local land- scape mapped in their brains.
The ongoing research between UQ and Aus- tralia Zoo in the Wen- lock has since revealed that crocodiles use tidal flow and current to help them travel and save en- ergy, they can stay un- derwater for over three hours, and that large male crocodiles may have either an identifi- able home range or are nomads and continually move about.
In my long experi- ence, a body of water that offers great fishing always has a healthy population of croco- diles – the two go hand in hand.
Anyway, this month I thought to cover an animal that is on eve- ryone’s minds when on the Cape – the estua- rine crocodile.
Crocodiles have a third pair of eyelids that act as swimming goggles for underwater vision and their bodies are beautifully stream- lined for swimming with minimal distur- bance, with the scutes on the back acting as small solar panels.
They were not wan- dering about looking for a waterhole but went straight to it!
Until next month, stay safe and enjoy the magical Australian out- doors!
A great deal of misin- formation is out there and regrettably also a lack of respect for crocodiles in too many cases.
We also discovered that with the excep- tional navigational and homing instincts of crocodiles, relocating problem animals didn’t work.
The latter behaviour
It is notable that our estuarine crocodile (or ‘saltie’) is the world’s largest living reptile, growing to at least 7m and found around northern Australia as well as other parts of the Indo-Pacific region.
These collect heat from the sun and warm the blood, which is then transferred around the body.
Two crocs we had moved by helicopter out of the Wenlock River over a hundred kilome- tres away, returned un- erringly back home.
Interestingly, both of these names are inac- curate, as not only does the saltie thrive in estuarine and salt- water habitats but also in freshwater rivers and billabongs, often hundreds of kilometres from the sea.
Crocodiles have a third pair of eyelids that act as swimming goggles for underwater vision and their bodies are beautifully streamlined for swimming with minimal disturbance.
Crocodiles use tidal ow and current to help them travel and save energy, and they can stay underwater for over three hours.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2020 – Page 69
When a crocodile basks on the bank with its jaws open, it is cool- ing its head.
There are plenty of people around Aus- tralia who hold great knowledge of croco- diles, however in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Steve and Terri Irwin commenced in- depth research into crocs, and that research continues today in col- laboration with the Uni- versity of Queensland.
The most remarkable example though is of the 4.2m long crocodile called ‘Weldon’.
Weldon was lifted
They can and do live and travel along the Cape York coastline, and occur around most islands of the region.
In our early studies in Rinyirru National Park, we caught a number of crocodiles with cal- louses under their feet – slightly puzzling given they were living in very muddy estuaries.
Even if you don’t see crocodiles along beach- es, you will see their www.bnbfishing.com.au
A couple were fitted with satellite trackers