Things I Have Learned Today
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Chinook helicopters trigger orgies in salt water crocodiles.
The thunderous sound made by the rotor blades of military helicopters provokes sex frenzies among saltwater crocodiles in Australia, researchers have found.
It is believed that to the crocodiles, the sonorous thump of the choppers sounds either like the mating roar of rival males – which spurs them to rush to mate with females – or evokes the sound of thunder, which signals the onset of the wet season and breeding time.
The unusual phenomenon has been observed at a crocodile farm in Queensland, where the reptiles are bred for their meat and skins.
Koorana Crocodile Farm, outside the coastal city of Rockhampton, is on a flight path used by helicopters heading to and from the huge Shoalwater Bay military training area to the north.
The owners of the reptile farm have noticed that every time big military helicopters such as Chinooks swoop in, male crocodiles go into a libidinous frenzy in what has been described as a mass “romp in the swamp”.
Koorana, run by John Lever and his wife Lillian, is the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland
Koorana, run by John Lever and his wife Lillian, is the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland.John Lever, the owner of the farm, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “We had a big Chinook that came down low because the guys wanted to take some pictures of the crocodiles.
“They were hanging out the door … and of course, Chinooks have got a big ‘thump, thump, thump’, like that. All of the big males got up and roared and bellowed up at the sky, and then after the helicopters left, they mated like mad.”
In saltwater crocodiles’ natural habitat across northern Australia, thunderstorms act as “an aphrodisiac” – “it really turns them on”, said Mr Lever.
The noise and vibrations emitted by a powerful military helicopter may evoke the signs that the crocodiles pick up from an approaching storm.
The big “salties”, as saltwater crocodiles are nicknamed in Australia, generally start to breed during the wet season.
'All of the big males got up and roared and bellowed up at the sky' in response to helicopters, said Mr Lever
'All of the big males got up and roared and bellowed up at the sky' in response to helicopters, said Mr Lever.“They’re probably using it as a bit of a cue to say: ‘Hey the wet’s coming’ … and it’s a good time to start mating so the eggs are ready to be laid at just the right time,” said Dr Cameron Baker, a crocodile expert from Charles Darwin University.
Male crocodiles may also mistake the noise of an approaching chopper for the sound normally made by a rival male, which would spur them into mating with the nearest female to exclude competitors.
“It might be producing a very low-frequency ‘thump, thump’ as it hits the water,” Dr Baker told the ABC. “That may just coincidentally be similar to some of the sounds big male crocodiles produce to say: ‘Hey, this is my turf.’”
Koorana is the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland, having opened more than 40 years ago. It was initially stocked with aggressive problem crocodiles that Mr Lever and his wife captured in the wild.
Take the dive...
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@EdH not sure which is stranger: the article or that I actually read the entire thing LOL
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This 12-sided stone represents the high level of mastery at masonry achieved by the incas. The fit between rocks is near perfect and it is hard to find a gap of a milimeter. Absolutely no mortar used here.
I should’ve taken a closeup pic to show it.
The journey is the objective.
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@motojobobo that is insane!! No mortar!? How in the hell??
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I think its one of those 'the excruciatingly painful executions will continue until you get it right.'
It really is amazing though -
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I went to vote today for local elections in the town hall building in Pineville. They have a history of Pineville, One of the items was that Cone Mills had a plant here which opened in 1948 with 500 employees. It closed in 1991.
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You moved there about 2 decades too late
Mind you, you probably have more denim in your closet than thos e losers made 
"OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011
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@steelworker I’m afraid of seeing it…might not ever be the same again and my wallet definitely wouldn’t be able to handle it.
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@Giles said in Things I Have Learned Today:
You moved there about 2 decades too late
Mind you, you probably have more denim in your closet than thos e losers made 
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@steelworker August of 2022 I believe.
