Gator vs Croc
Who would be the victor?
Gator vs Croc
Who would be the victor?
Apex predators, crocodiles have outlived dinosaurs.
As one of the original megafauna species, with a lineage that stretches back 95 million years, crocodiles have cemented their place in Aboriginal Creation stories. But how would a modern-day saltwater croc’s survival skills rate if pitted against another member of the Crocodilia Order?
Tail of the tape
In an epic battle between a saltie and an alligator, who would be the victor?
Saltwater Crocodiles
HABITAT: Salt and freshwater in Northern Australia, Southeast Asia & Eastern India.
SNOUT: Broader, v-shaped snouts.
SALT GLANDS: Salt-excreting glands.
COLOUR: Generally lighter.
Alligators
HABITAT: Freshwater rivers, lakes & swamps in the United States & China.
SNOUT: Broad, u-shaped.
TEETH: Only upper teeth are visible when the mouth is closed.
COLOUR: Generally darker.
Alligators
HABITAT: Freshwater rivers, lakes & swamps in the United States & China.
SNOUT: Broad, u-shaped.
TEETH: Only upper teeth visible when mouth is closed.
COLOUR: Generally darker.
Saltwater Crocodiles
HABITAT: Salt and freshwater in Northern Australia, Southeast Asia, & Eastern India.
SNOUT: Broader, u-shaped snouts.
SALT GLANDS: Salt-excreting glands.
COLOUR: Generally lighter.
When white explorers in Australia's Top End named the Alligator River, they were mistaken in thinking the large reptiles that made the area home were alligators. Rather, the Top End is home to both the smaller freshwater crocodile and the largest reptile on Earth—the saltwater crocodile. Alligators are only found in parts of the US and China. Given gators and crocs live in different parts of the world, the question of which reptile would come out on top in a fight is purely hypothetical.
But one man who could give a well-educated guess on the outcome of a theoretical duel is Sab Lord, owner of Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris. Sab has had three near-death experiences with crocodiles but, despite this, he rates the prehistoric reptile as his favourite animal.
"One time I was fishing with my uncles and I think they aged about 10 years because a croc actually launched at me and just missed me but he kept going for another 20 metres outside the water. He’s chasing me, and I'm zigzagging."
‘They are quite fast, over a short distance (the length of a normal four-wheel-drive) they're nearly the fastest creature on Earth...That's why being next to the water is where people get taken.’
It’s their smarts and ability to adapt to survive for hundreds of millions of years that Sab appreciates.
‘I just think they're just an incredible creature, and that's not just crocodiles here — I've been to Africa 25 times, and those Nile crocodiles are scarier to me than our Crocodylus porosus because they are just big and ugly, where I think ours are big and quite nice looking.’
Crocodiles are a big drawcard for Sab’s tour visitors, and he says spotting your first croc is a life-changing experience.
‘People see them on TV, but it’s when you get down and close to them that you realise how magnificent they really are.’
Actor Nicholas Cage was on the tour that Sab rates as his greatest to date, when a five-and-a-half metre crocodile grabbed a young buffalo by the throat, pulled it into the water and drowned it in less than 15 minutes, before dragging it into the mangroves.
‘It just exploded out of the water.’
So, Sab’s opinion on a full-grown croc vs a full-grown alligator?
‘A crocodile would think “There's something yummy,” and just eat it. No competition,' Sab says.
‘But it would be interesting to see a Nile crocodile taking on our croc because the Nile crocodile has a wider jaw and is as powerful. I've seen them pull in zebras and middle-sized hippos, and they hunt together. We came across a waterbuck (antelope) and there would've been at least 25 crocs on that.'
'They're incredible killing machines, same as ours, but they work as a team where Crocodylus porosus prefer to work alone, so that gives the Nile crocodile the advantage.’
So the winner is...
the Nile Crocodile
Image credit: Joshua J. Cotten, via Unsplash.
Never smile
Still keen on having a ‘life-changing’ encounter with a saltwater croc? Here are some options:
Sab’s safari
Your first of many opportunities to see saltwater crocodiles on this five-day tour through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park begins on day one, when you board an airboat for a water safari on the Mary River Wetlands. As you float above a blanket of lilies and reeds on the vast floodplains of a river that is teeming with wildlife, you’ll see crocodiles slide into the water from the banks, perhaps with something in their mouths.
You’ll gain another perspective on saltwater crocs when you visit Injalak Arts at Gunbalanya on day three of the tour. Kunwinjku artists at the nonprofit Aboriginal-owned social enterprise produce traditional art inspired by the nearby rock art galleries and ancient Dreamtime stories, including works that feature Kinga—the saltwater crocodiles that they both fear and respect.
Lords Kakadu and Arnhemland Safaris
5 DAY KAKADU & ARNHEM LAND TOUR
Croc Spot
Cahill’s Crossing on the East Alligator River is a notorious spot for croc spotting.
At high tide, water covers a narrow causeway where saltwater crocodiles lie in wait for their prey. There is a safe viewing spot to watch the apex predators hunting fish and, occasionally, confronting vehicles that have mistimed their crossing on the western bank. Make sure you check the tides before you visit and, as the crossing is on Aboriginal land, you’ll need permission from the Northern Land Council to enter.
Kakadu National Park
Croc culture
Crocodiles are significant in many Aboriginal cultures and the small tour Guluyambi Cultural Cruise on Kakadu’s spectacular East Alligator River is a great way to blend cultural insights with the drama of close encounters.
As you pass crocodiles basking on the banks of the river, enjoying the World Heritage landscape as you leisurely cruise upstream, your Aboriginal guide will add a layer to the experience with insights into their culture, local mythology, the river’s abundant food chain, traditional uses for many plants and animals, and bush survival skills.
Kakadu Cultural Tours
GULUYAMBI CULTURAL CRUISE
Crocodile Dreaming story
Several Top End Aboriginal communities have a Dreamtime story of the crocodile Ginga, who is a powerful ancestral being who shapes the landscape and establishes laws and customs for the people.
Dreaming stories are used to teach important lessons about respect for nature, the importance of following traditional laws, and the need to live in harmony with the environment. The stories are passed down through generations via art, dance, and ceremony, ensuring that the cultural significance and respect for these animals continue to be a part of Aboriginal identity and heritage.
Getting saltie
For most people, taking your work home with you means making your way through a pile of paperwork on the weekend. For tour guide and part-time croc wrangler Johani Mahmid, it means looking after the crocs in his backyard.
Johani, a proud Yawuru, Karrajarri, Nyul Nyul, Bardi man, shares his bone-deep knowledge of Broome and its surrounding landscape with guests during his Mabu Buru Broome Aboriginal Tours. Johani’s stories of the ancient, continuing connection that his people have with Country are fascinating, as is his love of crocodiles. Johani, who is also a tour guide and farm hand at the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park, has a license that allows him to own salties. If you go on his Wakaj experience, he just might let you visit his pets.
Hot tip: don’t try and pat them.
Mabu Buru Broome Aboriginal Tours
WAKAJ – TRADITIONAL DANCE EXPERIENCE
Tastes like chicken
If you’re not keen on getting close enough for a croc to eat you, you can always turn the tables and eat a croc (burger) instead.
And you don’t even have to go to the Top End to do it. Croc burgers are available from select restaurants Australia-wide, including Metro Burgers in Melbourne. The word on the street is that croc tastes like a cross between fish and chicken and it’s also nutritious — rich in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, and with essential nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, and zinc. Get your jaws around that.
Metro Burgers
CROC BURGER
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