CFZ Seek Cornish Croc

[CygnusRex]

IS THERE A CROCODILE IN OUR MIDST?

11:02 - 02 September 2004

Crocodile hunters from the Westcountry are stepping up an investigation into sightings of the reptiles in the wild.

For years, there have been sporadic sightings of crocodile-like creatures lurking in the country's waterways.

A team of volunteers from the Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) in Exeter - a body dedicated to the study of unknown animals - is scaling up investigations into the sightings, it has emerged.

The organisation's director, Jonathan Downes, has argued that even with climate changes, it would be "almost impossible" for these tropical or sub-tropical reptiles to survive a winter in Britain. But he added: "Nothing is completely impossible."

The CFZ team, which is following up the sightings, is also working on the possibility that the crocodile-like creatures are nothing more than large pike.

In an attempt to test this theory, the organisation plans to build a large freshwater tank at its head office, to photograph pike from every possible angle under a wide range of lighting conditions.

Trevor Beer, the WMN's wildlife writer earlier this week said he had witnessed - and caught on camera - a crocodile living in marshes near Braunton in North Devon in the 1970s.

He believes that they could survive a mild Westcountry winter: "If you look at their natural habitat, the days can be very hot, but the nights can be extremely cold. When have we known a desperately cold day or night for years?"

As recently as last June, villagers in Hardwicke, near Cheltenham, claimed to have seen an alligator living in a canal.

Mr Downes added that there are plans to study the effect these beasts could have on the ecosystem by monitoring them.

"We have a rather artificial ecosystem, and do not have any large predators," he said.

Experts acknowledge that if these "crocodilians" do exist in the country's waterways, they are the result of the illegal imports of crocodiles, alligators or caimans that have been released into the wild by their owners when they get too big to control.

Mr Downes said people smuggle the reptiles into the country when they are just a few inches long, but as they get larger they become dangerous. He described these actions as "criminally stupid".

"The responsible thing would be never to start this in the first place, but people dump them in the local river," he said. "I'm certain these are because somebody has come back with a baby alligator."

"Although the British climate has changed dramatically over the past few years, it's not warm enough for them to survive a winter," added Mr Downes.

Between 1999 and 2003, the RSPCA saw a 161 per cent increase in the number of exotic pets the charity had rescued. Since 2000, the organisation has dealt with 42 crocodiles and alligators across Britain.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: "These creatures released into the wild are out of their natural environment. A lot of them face horrific deaths."

Source

I wonder if they will give a talk on the results at Uncon this year?

 

[brianellwood]

But some adapt like mink and wallabies!

 

[Bullseye]

And terrapins, I knew of two large (about 10") ones living in a pond for quite a few years, this was before the "nija mutant turtles" craze.

 

[Min Bannister]

Mammals are at least warm blooded though. Crocodiles need to keep their body temperature up, normally by lying in the sun. Though it appears that a group of terrapins have established a colony in a canal near Gloucester. Here is the report.

http://www.cfz.org.uk/expeditions/03croc/gcroc.htm

Its a bit long but does include a picture of a lurking pike. Which does look rather crocodily.

Edit-You sneaked in before me with the terrapins Bullseye!

 

[Bullseye]

Yeah, I'm good at sneaking ! . Have seen many very large pike (20lb plus) "sunbathing" in shallow waters, they don't look like crocs to me, BUT, to someone who was'nt that well aquainted with pike............well it could fool them.

 

[Bullseye]

Just read the cfz report (ok should have read it first !), chap seems to know what he's talking about, think it could well be genuine, as for little egrets, we've had a few round here for a few years, their numbers are increasing,still seems "strange" to me when I see them.
As for bloody mink, I've had a few "run ins" with them on the riverbank !!.

 

[Min Bannister]

Yes, doesn't sound like he'd be too easily fooled by a pike. I think the point about him not being entirely sure it was a mallard is a bit unfair. It was a female duck and most of them are pretty similar.

 

[Anonymous]

And terrapins, I knew of two large (about 10") ones living in a pond for quite a few years, this was before the "nija mutant turtles" craze.

There are loads of aquatic chelonians (e.g. terrapins) living in the wild in the UK.

The vast majority of these are red-eared terrapins, which are long-lived and relatively cold-tolerant, so they can persist in the wild for a very long time. Summer temperatures aren't usually high enough for them to incubate their eggs, so it seems likely they'll eventually die out in the UK. The furthest north I've heard of them occuring is Gateshead.

Other species that have been introduced in the UK include snapping turtles and European pond tortoises- European pond tortoises are thought to have bred in the wild in Norfolk in the early 20th century.

These are all temperate species, though... a subtropical crocodilian is likely to have quite different temperature requirements.

 

[CygnusRex]

There are loads of aquatic chelonians (e.g. terrapins) living in the wild in the UK.

The vast majority of these are red-eared terrapins, which are long-lived and relatively cold-tolerant, so they can persist in the wild for a very long time. Summer temperatures aren't usually high enough for them to incubate their eggs, so it seems likely they'll eventually die out in the UK. The furthest north I've heard of them occuring is Gateshead.

Other species that have been introduced in the UK include snapping turtles and European pond tortoises- European pond tortoises are thought to have bred in the wild in Norfolk in the early 20th century.

These are all temperate species, though... a subtropical crocodilian is likely to have quite different temperature requirements.

There is a large and fairly destructive colony of red-eared terrapins in Clissold Park, which is in a central London Borough.
They have been eating their way through the duck colony there for a number of years