Manjula goes blogging...

In what now feels like another lifetime, I used to work with crocodiles in India- assisting in Jeff Lang’s study on temperature-sex determination, overseeing the daily feeding of 10,000 crocs, helping catch, measure, and move crocodiles among enclosures…those were really fun days. And reckless days! If someone dared me to climb into the adult saltwater crocodile enclosure, release a calling hatchling near the water and leap back out over a 5-foot high enclosure wall, I would do it - most foolish! Then I was introduced to sea turtles, and there was no going back to crocs. But I still love the occasional opportunity to help at the St. Augustine Alligator farm here in Florida. The challenges and the element of danger associated with croc work are thrilling and irresistible! Here, we are helping Kent Vliet and John Thorbjarnarson measure the bite force of alligators. The largest alligator (>300 cm in total length) had a bite force of approximately 2,125 lbs!

Photo by: T.Barbeau