Theory behind crocodile 'doing it tough' in tiny puddle kilometres from water

A photo of a crocodile supposedly “doing it tough” sitting in a small puddle in an otherwise dry creek has left some Aussies concerned for its welfare — but not all is as it seems, an expert has revealed.

A man posted the image of the small croc with the top half of its body sticking out of the green water on Facebook, claiming its nearest water source is about six kilometres away. “Doing it tough at the end of the dry,” he captioned the picture of the creek that feeds into the Adelaide River, south of Darwin in the Northern Territory.

“Not far from Adelaide River township. That’s the sky you can see in the background.”

Crocodile in puddle doing 'fine'

Despite the man’s apparent worry for the animal, David White with Solar Whisper Daintree River and Wildlife Cruises told Yahoo News Australia the crocodile appeared to be “fine” and is in “what’s called a wallow”, which the wildlife are known to create.

“Females make them near their nests and males, the reasons aren’t clear but it’s not uncommon,” he said. “Perhaps he’s been fighting and wants a break from the others, or perhaps it’s getting hot and the wallow is in the shade and it’s a cooler spot. It’s a natural event and they can survive for long periods like this.

“Crocs can go for a long time without food or water, they just can’t get too hot. But this croc is in a cool spot. It’s the temperature that kills them. They just slow their body clock down. So I believe he will be fine.”

However, in some swamps in the NT and Cape York that “totally dry up”, crocs far away from the river do “do it tough”, White said.

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Aussies wish for rainfall for croc

Aussie social media users complimented the man on his “fantastic” photo of the small croc in the dry landscape, with many wishing for rainfall. The Adelaide River area received about 1mm of rain in the 24 hours up until 9am on Monday.

“If I just stay here, no one will notice me,” one woman joked. “Maybe he’s hiding from a bigger lizard who’s moved into the area...nesting/mating season started this month…” another person added.

So far the post has gained more than 1,600 likes and over 100 shares.

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