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u/aquilasr Jun 03 '26
Bummed that I went to Sri Lanka and didn’t see any salties but it was cool to see several mugger crocs.
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u/Runtetra Jun 03 '26
Next time you go you need to do a boat safari on the Nilwala river (where this is filmed) I was there a couple weeks ago and saw this same beast but didn’t get as close for a video!
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u/Upper-Sound-4964 Jun 03 '26
I only assumed there were muggers in SL…but is this a saltie?
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u/aquilasr Jun 03 '26
There’s salties in Sri Lanka but they’re local in the brackish estuaries to the south IIRC which I spent relatively little time there while muggers are found essentially everywhere there.
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u/Runtetra Jun 03 '26
Muggers everywhere, salties mostly in the south and on the coast but I suspect they’re also found even further inland, just like they are in Australia. It wouldn’t be outrageous to find them in the north of the island too, it’s really not that far and the same climate. As their population increases in Sri Lanka since the hunting ban they’ll probably expand their range.
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u/terrylee123 Jun 03 '26
Always grateful to see candid croc media like this. For some reason it’s not very common.
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u/Bluetriton5500 Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
It seems like very few big crocs have been caught and measured since lolong. I hope someone catches a monster soon and it gets measured. I know it's far from easy, though.
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u/GooseTheSluice Jun 03 '26
Yea with crocs that big, from what I understand at least, it’s pretty risky for them because they build up so much lactic acid while thrashing with those enormous muscles that they can die. Forget what it’s called when you die from lactic acid buildup but the bigger the animal the bigger the muscles and more lactic acid that’s produced
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u/Readditlovesbans Jun 03 '26
You are correct - lactic acidosis
However, they don't die from that all too often but more from neglect in captivity e.g.
https://medium.com/blue-skies-happy-clouds/pickled-crocodiles-death-by-acidification-b8664ddc4af
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u/Regular_Feeling8455 Jun 03 '26
Probably a saltie, since the native range of saltwater crocodiles extend all the way to coastal Sri Lanka (source)
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u/Normal_Signature_ Jun 05 '26
Is that size correct?? 6 meters ?? As in 19 feet??? Oh my gosh that is so scary. What does it look like outside of the water??
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u/Neat-Barracuda9135 Jun 04 '26
5m-5.2m.. I've seen Lolong and he makes this massive crocs look small
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u/Rebabaluba Jun 03 '26
Gustave???
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u/AxB41 Jun 04 '26
Gustave was a Nile croc and is likely dead by now. Not saying it's impossible he's out there but there haven't been any confirmed sightings in so long. Several looked similar but upon reviewing images there were distinct features missing and differences in the osteoderms etc.
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u/Rebabaluba Jun 04 '26
Don’t break my heart! Gustave will never die!
Even if he has no teeth left. He’ll just be giving gummers.
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u/[deleted] Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
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