Don't try this at home!

[Ronnoco]

Although this is one of my favourite photos, it comes under the cliche heading of : Don't try this at home.

I broke one of the main rules of wildlife photgraphy: "Use a long lens, particularly when shooting dangerous wildlife." For this photo, I used a regular 50 mm lens too close at 2.8 with no tripod, since I might have had to move very quickly, considering the way he was looking at me.

Ronnoco

[julsoph]

Since I have an irrational fear of alligators and the like, I'll say this: crazy, crazy, crazy!!!

However, it's a great shot, so it must have been worth a little bit of craziness...hehe.

Emily

[paulnj]

One rule that overshadows the "long lens" rule is the "know your subject rule ;)

How big is this alligator and where was it taken?

[Ronnoco]

One rule that overshadows the "long lens" rule is the "know your subject rule ;)

Well, the crocodile and I had only just met. ;) Seriously, you are absolutely correct. Crocodiles can be very fast, but heat is a major factor as well as the type of crocodile it is.
You would not want to be anywhere remotely near to a black caiman which is unbelievably aggressive as well as 30 feet plus in length.

How big is this alligator and where was it taken?

This was a small one at about 10 feet long and he was in a thick Mexican jungle area where travel is by boat up the rivers which can get both narrow and tight from thick vegetation which is low overhead, as well as preventing access to some parts of the "shore".

Ronnoco

[paulnj]

First I would just like to tell you that NO crocodillian have been confirmed anywhere near 30 feet and black caimans are the largest of the alligatoridae family with claims of 6 meters never being proven ;)

Is this a morelet's crocodile or an american crocodile?

I take it from you avatar that you like crocodillians , so you might be interested that a friend of mine studied the american crocs at indian point for a year ;)

I do think your actions reguardless of species are a bit "crazy", but I run towards bears when I see them and get very close to alligators and even a HUGE(15 ft ) american croc in FL . I , like you obviously, have no fear of what I am familiar with ( with a bit a crazy mixed in myself )

Nice image BTW.

[Ronnoco]

[QUOTE=paulnj]First I would just like to tell you that NO crocodillian have been confirmed anywhere near 30 feet and black caimans are the largest of the alligatoridae family with claims of 6 meters never being proven ;)

Not a black caiman, but there was an incident in Australia about 4 years ago, where they figured that the salt water croc weighed in at about 2 tons. I suspect he would have been pretty long.

I read a book about a guy that went way into the upper Amazon tributaries where the vegetation is really thick and almost no travelers venture. They drew their boat onto what they thought was a dark and very long sandbar. They barely escaped with their lives.

I do think your actions reguardless of species are a bit "crazy", but I run towards bears when I see them. Hey, we have something in common. I used to do that when I was 12 years old taking photos in British Columbia. When I think of it now, I was way too close to them as well. It was a good thing that they did not seem hungry at the time.

Ronnoco.

[Ronnoco]

[QUOTE=paulnj]First I would just like to tell you that NO crocodillian have been confirmed anywhere near 30 feet and black caimans are the largest of the alligatoridae family with claims of 6 meters never being proven ;)

Follow-up. Per Mateo's website related to black caimans, the largest confirmed caiman ever found was OVER 10 metres long. Salt water crocs are close in size to the caiman but slightly shorter, although that is open to some argument as well.

Ronnoco

[paulnj]

Here is where I got my info.... http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/csp_mnig.htm

I did find meteo's 10 meter claim, but none besides him claim anything above 6m that I've seen. I have seen claims of 40+ foot reticulated pythons too.... they turn out to be in the 22-25 foot range though ;)

You still haven't answered my ID question ;)

Is this a morelet's crocodile or an american crocodile? I don't know my crocs well....yet.

[Ronnoco]

Here is where I got my info.... http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/csp_mnig.htm

I did find meteo's 10 meter claim, but none besides him claim anything above 6m that I've seen. I have seen claims of 40+ foot reticulated pythons too.... they turn out to be in the 22-25 foot range though ;)

You still haven't answered my ID question ;)

Is this a morelet's crocodile or an american crocodile? I don't know my crocs well....yet.

Some of the web site info. is contradictory and questionable. One site had the black caiman low on the aggressive list but I don't think Brazil would agree since people have been attacked walking along the shore of rivers by a caiman from the water.

As to ID it is an american bull crocodile, although not the typical grey kind common to the area. My avatar is the grey kind. That shot showed blood in its mouth and it was extremely aggressive. Most crocodiles tend to be slower in the heat or if they have been in the sun and this was summer time so the temp. was close to 100 degrees fahrenheil.

Ronnoco

[paulnj]

Ah , so your avatar croc was actually thermo regulating ?

I have only seen one BIG american crocodile at Ding Darling (Sanibel Fl.) and It had to be 15 feet ! I was laying at the water's edge taking images of wading birds(as I usually do) and I kept hearing "that guy is crazy" from behind me. My viewfinder went a bit blurry , so I look over the camera and see the biggest "alligator" I have ever seen swimming 15 feet away from me. I grabbed my rig and crased it down, but never could get a clear image of it through the brush before it vanished.

I only figured out it was a crocodile after a guy there told me.

My GF is going to FL next week, but I can't make it