MONSTER CROC...!

[DOC-404]

..I wonder where they'd all be standing if this lizard was still alive..!

 

[timbear]

WOW! Do you know any background, where, when, how...?

 

[James.Grage]

now that is one big croc...

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I don't know crocs very well at all, but something in my head is thinking "photoshop." Just estimating from the pic that the croc appears to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 feet long.

 

[James.Grage]

Phoenix Phil

What i think i see is a wide angle photo lens...Trying to make it look bigger with the villagers standing back a few feet.

 

[sestoppelman]

Agree with James on this. The folks are probably at least 15 feet behind the croc. Probably a big croc no doubt but probably not much over 20 feet.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Yeah I could see that. I guess I was looking more at the berm and guessing the length of the legs to be about 4-5 feet.... and then applying differential calculus with Einstein's theory of relativity.....and then scrapping that in favor of SWAG (silly wild guess) theory....who the heck knows? But indeed a big croc.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

Phoenix Phil

What i think i see is a wide angle photo lens...Trying to make it look bigger with the villagers standing back a few feet.

Agree with this

 

[Ole Bally]

will any of you take 14' ?! :giveusahug:

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

16 - 17 '

 

[PaulT]

I'm certainly happy to eat humble pie on this, and will stand corrected if wrong ofcourse but that croc just doesn't look like a real big (17+ft) croc to me.

Generally most big 15+ footers I see have some body parts missing; hind foot/feet, parts of the tail, big scars from fighting etc. I've tried to enlarge the pic supplied but am unable to.
Also, the really big crocs, 17+ft, have lost most of the vibrant colouring shown in this animal, being mostly darkish brown to almost black in some cases. I know that the water they live in will dictate this to an extent but the croc in this picture is far too colorful for an aged animal to be 17+ feet.
(them African lizards MAY be a little different to our Aussie "snappers").

Also, from as best I can see in the pic provided the teeth don't display the shortness and girth displayed in very old crocs that have been around long enough to reach 17+ft. In the pic they look long, sharp and pointed indicative of an animal in its prime.

The girth of the stomach and rear hind legs is missleading and tends to indicate massive overall size, but having personally handled these animals I can tell you that even a relatively small croc (13ft) will dislpay mass in the gut girth and rear leg girth when displayed in the manner in which it has been in this pic.

If I were forced to make a call from nothing more than the information provided, the one pic, I ,as Ole Bally has allready suggested, would have said 14, maybe 15ft.

Hope I'm wrong and somebody took one of those truely legendary monsters of the deep.

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

PaulT it just looks big to me even with the camera angles and lenses, as far as missing pieces you are correct will post a pic of a 16 ft that I hunted on Cahorra Bassa 2 years ago, het I am most probably wrong just the thickness of the leg and so makes me wonder, on our crocs as a rough estimate, I try to use the "ches from nose tip to eye gives me a rough idea, but who knows.

It sure looks impresive, our Niles are lighter that your Crocs for sure, also tried to enlarge but it pixelates allot so teeth I can not see enough of to be honest, when I look at the pic keep all proportions in mind (even the crowd positioned behind it by 10 ft or so ) it sure takes a slightly larger than 13' croc to put 52 people behind it. My knowledge of crocs are reasonable as I have hunted a few but by no means am I putting myself out there as an expert, just looking at it taking all into consideration it looks proper.

See you in the states.

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

PaulT Looked at it again and must admit you do have a point, I would go for 15' or slightly bigger, but not 17' you are correct. If it was lying in front of us we would not argue....lol!!! ;-)

 

[PaulT]

Yes, Jaco, I agree with all you have said it is very hard to judge and I hope that no-one thinks I am trying to "pooh-pooh" anyone's hard earned Trophy, for usre it's a great Lizard ! Awesome Trophy regardless of it's final length.

I just think that maybe the style of photography used may lend to suggesting that it is bigger than it really is.

Where I hunt 14's to 15's are relatively common after many years of protection.
My buffalo camp is located not 30ft from the edge of Wamaitparr billabong a 6km piece of water that usually holds several "average" salties (13 - 15ft) and more than a few Freshies, so I regularily watch them from our kitchen.

Two years ago i had an unusually agressive and beligerent female regularily visit the outside of my tent at night and snarl and hiss in a threatening manner until i would chase her back in the billabong with a stout stick and torch. She maintained this agressive behaviour until my patience ran out, and forced lack of sleep, resulted in her being trapped and removed. She was quite large in body size but measured only 14ft.

Being a protected animal I therefore have very little experience in finished carcasses but spend quite a bit of time watching the live ones.

The croc in this pic looks in prime "nick" and full coloration and definitely great condition, what we would call "bull of the pool".

15ft of croc is a lot of animal when it's at your feet !

Jaco, if your at D.S.C let me know and we can catch-up for a few "frothies".

Cheers,
Paul.