The Nile crocodile had sprawled on the bank of the Rufiji River, enjoying the sun. Our guide turned off the boat’s motor, and we began to drift toward the monster. This crocodilian might have topped 12 feet, maybe 13, and had an enormous girth. Its slick hide seemed brand-new, with not a scratch or scar. According to our guide, they primarily eat fish in this river and probably don’t get scars by tackling large mammalian prey. The beast seemed undisturbed by us. Our boat was slowly drifting toward it. I had my large zoom lens and began to study it in various ways.
The tail curled back around toward us, and it made me wonder if he was even bigger than I thought. A male can grow to 15 or more feet long and weigh 1,500 pounds. The hide, the skin, was remarkable on this specimen. Their scientific name, Crocodylus niloticus, is from Greek, κρόκη, which means pebble, and δρῖλος, which is “worm” and refers to the rough skin. The species name, niloticus, means “from the Nile River.”
This species’ closest relative might be the American crocodile. The American crocodile is shy and virtually only eats fish. These Nile crocodiles are apex predators and will take people who wade into the water. These crocodiles will lie in the water, waiting for an animal to come for a drink, then burst out in a rush, grabbing the prey and dragging it back into the water. We were cautioned never to walk along the shoreline of African rivers and lakes.
As we drifted closer, this guy’s yellow eye became prominent. They have yellow “cat-eyes’ with a vertical slit and multiple rings of small scales that accent the pupil. The pupil narrowed as this croc slept in the warmth. The horizontal slit just behind the eye was the opening into the ear canal. Crocodiles don’t have external pinnae as we do. The jigsaw of scales on its jaw, head, and neck formed a unique, complex pattern. Each scale had what looked like ink marks, making a fine design. The ridges, bumps, and valleys made the hide more complicated, and I wondered what it might feel like to run my index finger along it.
Our guide started the motor, and we pulled away, leaving this magnificent beast to its river.
