Australia, one of the worlds last modern colonisation’s, is also an outstanding habitat for the reptiles - ancient creatures who for hundreds of million years dominated the fauna of this pla- net. The following pages provide un- usual yet authentic descriptions of some interesting aspects of an ongoing confrontation between the new and the very old worlds.
Part one includes one of the most comprehendible reports on the life of the largest of all present reptiles, the saltwater crocodile, in some of earths’ most remote coastlines, far away from any human settlement. The articles are focused on the social rules that need to be observed to avoid confrontations in the territories of this animal, which is regarded as one of the very strongest predators on this planet.
The pictures and information you will find have been developed with the author’s personal experience, such as exploring creek mouths in the unsettled far north of Australia by sea kayak for 18 month (alone and without weapon nor any other artificial defence). This will hopefully help readers to understand that the saltwater crocodile is not an unpredictable monster but rather a very fascinating and cautious creature.
All crocodile pictures, without exception, show wild and natural animals, none of them is fed or in captivity. more ...
Part two of this series explains several examples of the extreme damage caused to the environment by the introduction of foreign species into the isolated Australian ecosystem, in which the reptiles have been the local residents for an unimaginable long time.
The destruction, shown with the effects upon marine turtles and snakes, is very severe even in areas that have not been been directly contacted by modern civilisation. This collapse-like damage may be a forecast for what is happening worldwide without having been realised. more ...
