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Since I can remember, I have read everything I could find about crocodiles. Being an African, I’m partial to the Nile Crocodile. Stories of 7 meter crocodiles abound in the literature but never has such a monster actually been verifiably measured. Neither Salty nor Nile. I was interested to read here about the methods to measure crocodile trophies. “Between the pegs” and “over the curves”, the latter being the official RW and SCI yardstick. But commentators like Nickudu and others have pointed out that “over the curves” would inevitably produce greater lengths than “between the pegs”. Some say you can reduce “over the curves” by at least 10% to estimate the actual “ between the pegs” length. So I checked out the publication of Adam Britton about his measurements of Lolong, supposedly the largest crocodile, a Salty, ever measured verifiably. He was tasked by the Guiness Book of Records and Lolong topped out at 6,17m, the official length now recorded. But lo and behold, that is a measurement “over the curves”. Britton asserts that he also measured Lolong snout to tail in a straight line on the ground and that measurement was only 1% less at 6,09m. Justin Karan had posted a picture here of a croc his father took in Lake Chamo, just shy of 20ft. That would surely be comparable to Lolong and the great Salties. Nickudu made reference to a Nile croc shot in the Semliki River measuring 19’6” in a straight line. Could that have been a croc even bigger than Lolong? Watching those monsters in the Mara River swallowing wildebeest like hamburgers, I would give my front teeth to have the biggest one captured and measured for length and weight. I betcha he would be crowned king of all crocs. Anyone here with more information on super large crocodiles hunted in Africa?
 
Posts: 76 | Location: South Africa | Registered: 16 August 2006Reply With Quote
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For my fellow metric-challenged Americans, I have converted a few of your measurements to feet.


quote:
Originally posted by adam2:
Since I can remember, I have read everything I could find about crocodiles. Being an African, I’m partial to the Nile Crocodile. Stories of 7 meter (23') crocodiles abound in the literature but never has such a monster actually been verifiably measured. Neither Salty nor Nile. I was interested to read here about the methods to measure crocodile trophies. “Between the pegs” and “over the curves”, the latter being the official RW and SCI yardstick. But commentators like Nickudu and others have pointed out that “over the curves” would inevitably produce greater lengths than “between the pegs”. Some say you can reduce “over the curves” by at least 10% to estimate the actual “ between the pegs” length. So I checked out the publication of Adam Britton about his measurements of Lolong, supposedly the largest crocodile, a Salty, ever measured verifiably. He was tasked by the Guiness Book of Records and Lolong topped out at 6,17m (20'3"), the official length now recorded. But lo and behold, that is a measurement “over the curves”. Britton asserts that he also measured Lolong snout to tail in a straight line on the ground and that measurement was only 1% less at 6,09m (20'0"). Justin Karan had posted a picture here of a croc his father took in Lake Chamo, just shy of 20ft. That would surely be comparable to Lolong and the great Salties. Nickudu made reference to a Nile croc shot in the Semliki River measuring 19’6” in a straight line. Could that have been a croc even bigger than Lolong? Watching those monsters in the Mara River swallowing wildebeest like hamburgers, I would give my front teeth to have the biggest one captured and measured for length and weight. I betcha he would be crowned king of all crocs. Anyone here with more information on super large crocodiles hunted in Africa?


Crocs have always fascinated me, too. I shot my first one last year. I have had no opportunities to shoot one on past safaris; I was always hunting something else that I deemed more interesting and important. But I would do it again. It takes a fine shot to anchor one.

I have also often wondered about the Australian saltwater crocs, which I have heard can grow to enormous lengths as well.

And FWIW, I would suggest that between the pegs is the only fair way to measure them.


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13329 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
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When my father was surveying the Black Volta and Niger upper tributaries there were some monsters there. I believe the big lakes of Turkana and Tanganyika have some huge specimens and once saw a skull that was 3 feet in length.


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Posts: 9846 | Location: Zambia | Registered: 10 April 2009Reply With Quote
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About 20 years ago, we went to Sun City. While there , we visited this croc exhibit near the gate . It was much different back then.

At any rate, they had a pool with some absolutely massive crocs. There was one real giant that had, by my estimate, 1.5-2.0 feet of its tail bitten off. I estimated it was 18’6”. They gave us the actual measurements in metric terms. I converted it . 18’5.5”. This is after losing that much tail.

A true giant .
 
Posts: 11908 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: 26 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Closed now but a few years ago they shot some monsters in Lake Chamo, Ethiopia.
 
Posts: 2532 | Location: New York, USA | Registered: 13 March 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by larryshores:
About 20 years ago, we went to Sun City. While there , we visited this croc exhibit near the gate . It was much different back then.

At any rate, they had a pool with some absolutely massive crocs. There was one real giant that had, by my estimate, 1.5-2.0 feet of its tail bitten off. I estimated it was 18’6”. They gave us the actual measurements in metric terms. I converted it . 18’5.5”. This is after losing that much tail.

A true giant .


I took this pic at Sun City summer of 2004. He was behind the scenes, not viewable by the public. He was 18'+ Nothing for scale in this, but his girth was massive - like my office desk probably 6' feet at his midsection and 30"-36" at the back lying down. wiBig Croc


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Posts: 3022 | Location: Austin, Texas | Registered: 05 April 2006Reply With Quote
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Don Heath told me he shot one in the Zambezi delta that was 21 ft. Don was a very honest man and with all his experience I have no reason to doubt him. The Congo River at the rapids apart from the big lakes and dams must have old monsters. Gomek one of the largest ever salties in a zoo and at St Augustine reptile park died at 18’. A friend and I had one caught in our backyard that was 2’ and
grew to 9’ over about a decade. Was very
tolerant of people and starred in adverts in SA after we gave him away to Hartebeestport snake farm (Jack Seals).
 
Posts: 485 | Registered: 16 April 2012Reply With Quote
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There are some credible records of salties going as big as 25 feet long or even longer.

Romulus Whitaker is a well known American who was born and brought up in India. He is a pioneer of conservation of reptiles, going back to the 70s. You can see many of his recent wildlife clips on YouTube.

In 1976 as a university student I met Rom when he took my dad (Chief Wildlife Warden) to look at turtles laying eggs on the beach. Rom already had ventured into a Crocodile "bank" at that time. I asked him about the largest saltie and he said he had seen a skull (like Andrew said) that was so long that the animal would have been over 25 feet. I think it was shot in the 1920s.

More recently a 24 foot saltie was found in a national park in Odisha state in the East of India.

YouTube has a few clips of giants caught in Philippines or Indonesia that were around 21 feet long.


"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick."
 
Posts: 11006 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 02 July 2008Reply With Quote
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Sorry, but their are no credible records of 25ft Salties, none. Go check out Rom Whitaker’s own assessments on the subject at madrascrocodilebank.org. The absolute greatest length for a Salty he is prepared to extrapolate from the largest known skulls, is still shy of 7m (or 23ft).
 
Posts: 76 | Location: South Africa | Registered: 16 August 2006Reply With Quote
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Thanks for posting and referencing Rom's website. I've not seen it myself (yet).

My memory for 40+ years ago was Rom talking of this skull that was so old and probably shrunk etc. I might even have seen a photo of that skull in some publication.

The Odisha national park croc is more recent. I need to find the references again. I do remember it as estimated at 24 feet.

Interestingly there are even some giant gharials on record even if they are not as heavy.


quote:
Originally posted by adam2:
Sorry, but their are no credible records of 25ft Salties, none. Go check out Rom Whitaker’s own assessments on the subject at madrascrocodilebank.org. The absolute greatest length for a Salty he is prepared to extrapolate from the largest known skulls, is still shy of 7m (or 23ft).


"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick."
 
Posts: 11006 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 02 July 2008Reply With Quote
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https://ourplnt.com/largest-crocodiles/#axzz6fOepNstf

This source refers to a 17 ft Fresh water croc in Sri Lanka - called the Muggar in India. The largest I have heard of.

Plenty of links about the 23+ ft croc in Odisha going back to 2006. Currently they estimate it to be over 24 ft long.

Crocs were nearly extinct in this area in the 1970s.

Here is another link to the 1920s croc skull with the animal estimated at around 25 ft

https://www.underwatertimes.co...ticle_id=51790108324


"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick."
 
Posts: 11006 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 02 July 2008Reply With Quote
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About the supposed 24 footer swimming around somewhere in Odisha/Orissa (Bhitarkanika national park, India) as reported by the Guiness Book of Records, this is what Rom Whitaker has to say :
“ Back in India there are current stories of 23 footers in Bhitarkanika National Park in the Indian state of Orissa. In fact, someone is such a convincing story teller that the Guinness Book of Records proclaims that this is where the largest croc in the world lives. It could be true, we hope it is, but we need evidence and not another tale of ‘it was bigger than the boat’. Hopefully Guinness does more rigorous verification with their other stories.”
The skull you referenced is the skull of the legend maneater “Kalia”, kept by the Raja of Kanika in his private collection. Whitaker also measured that skull, a huge one for sure, but he doubts it comes from a croc that would have exceeded 22ft in length.
 
Posts: 76 | Location: South Africa | Registered: 16 August 2006Reply With Quote
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This is a picture of a croc posted here by fellow forum member Justin Karan. His father took the croc at Lake Chamo. It was just shy of 20ft. A true dinosaur!
 
Posts: 76 | Location: South Africa | Registered: 16 August 2006Reply With Quote
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I caught a huge smallmouth bass two years ago in Lake St Claire, MI. It was so big, it’s picture weighed 8 pounds!


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Posts: 1381 | Location: Lake Bluff, IL | Registered: 02 May 2008Reply With Quote
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I caught a huge smallmouth bass two years ago in Lake St Claire, MI. It was so big, its picture weighed 8 pounds!


Jesus saves, but Moses invests
 
Posts: 1381 | Location: Lake Bluff, IL | Registered: 02 May 2008Reply With Quote
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quote:
I caught a huge smallmouth bass two years ago in Lake St Claire, MI. It was so big, its picture weighed 8 pounds!

Jesus saves, but Moses invests

Were you hitting the bottle a little early, Bud? Eeker Or, were you just seeing double?! rotflmo clap rotflmo
 
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