Maybe to liven up this dead forum we could discuss the podcast.
Adam interviewed a guy from St. Augustines. They of course talked about training crocs. They talked about signals.
I'm no croc trainer but having been a keeper for 25 years I'm still constantly amazed
at a crocs ability to know when it is dinner time.
Like I said I'm not a trainer but over the years these are some signals that told my crocs it was dinnertime.
At first I just made a grunting noise.
Then clicking my barbeque tongs together. Or tapping them against metal fencing.
Some signals aren't even intentional.
Tearing open plastic grocery bags.
When I fed a lot of chicken, putting on latex gloves.
All of these sounds or actions would get the crocs excited and they would come to be fed.
I think the most interesting one. The one that shows the highest level of intelligence was another unintentional one.
I worked at a reptile zoo called the Snake Farm back in the 90's and on Sunday we would feed the gator pond.
The owners wife would get on the P.A. system and say, " In about 15 minutes we will feed the gators at the outside pond. 15 minutes gator feeding at the outside pond."
Immediately all the gators and crocs start coming out of the water to be fed.
That was simply the longest message that was ever said over the intercom.
Typically it was ,"Danny come to the front", or "John you have a phone call".
During these short messages not a croc budged. But during the croc feeding message all the crocs would come to get fed. Before they saw a keeper and before the people started to amass. The only other answer is they had a calendar and they knew it was Sunday.
Trainers or not does anyone else have any interestin signals for their crocs? D.C.

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