..For this Tanzanian crocodile.
Okay, from my limited knowledge, hippos are a bit of a nervous animal eating mostly plants, but at one time (in the very distant past) prey. The crocodile did not know this, but I wonder if the photographer did, and how far away he was.
My limited knowledge (based, in part, on Kratt’s Creatures when the kids were small,) is that you don’t get into the water with hippos. Herbivores, they may be, but placid when you trespass they are not.
Clearly, the croc did not know that either.
Probably had young close by, parents can get wacky, as I’ve been told.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6918747.ece
I meant to include the link.
They’re oftan called the most dangerous animals in Africa, I believe. They’re also a lot faster than most people think; on land, they can hit speeds of about 30 miles an hour. Add that to territorial aggression (particularly when mothers and young are present) and the herding behaviour in the pics, and they’re bad news.
Did you know that there is a word - retromingent - for the act of peeing backwards? The world is a wonderful place!
Then there’s this:http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/mammals-animals/hippos-rhinos-tapirs/hippo_lickcrocodiles.html
Do I want to know exactly how somethin’ pees backwards?!?!?! Sounds like some kinda yoga gone wrong.
On point, hippos are scary.
This croc is definitely a canditate for the “Darwin Awards”!
Btw. - did anyone notice, that the hippos here show the same behaviour as big-game hunters? I mean: killing an animal, but not to eat it? Maybe there should be a match between those two, being allowed to use only the same weapons (= their own teeth)…
Do tell. While I wouldn’t deny this behavior exists amongst some individuals it is an anathema to the majority of hunters. In my career I often found the casual cultural elitists were the ones to look out for regarding this behavior and many other wildlife law infractions. I and my crew once busted a couple of judges, a minister, and several attorneys waterfowl hunting over bait that they placed themselves. The minister was a Presbyterian so it was inevitable he was going to get caught. Those judges sure weren’t thinking when they asked him to come along.
Definitely in my experience. I think many hunters and gathers have more respect for animals and plants than those that don’t understand where food comes from.
Edit: Thanks Denny
defiantly
defensibly
definitely
Aye stil reelly kneed to werk on mi speling and reeding.
and tryin’ ta trick the spell checker into coming up with the right one…
Thet"s wye is’s take me sew long to type using a computor, I ate spellczeh!
It helped me through high school and college, and I used proof readers (people I know). Couldn’t spell in Persian Farsi, Spanish, or American sign language either. It really sucks in ASL, some things do not have signs. Vial, I don’t think they have a word for it in ASL. It took me thirty minute to explain vial. viel, vial, vile, etc. Embarrassing.
This was more likely defensive behaviour rather than the desire for a trophy. According to the photographer, the presence of mothers with young might have been what triggered the attack.