What's the connection between helicopters and crocodile orgies? To be honest, we don't have the answer, but it seems that, somehow, this flying vehicle has the ability to sexually arouse these predators, who began copulating after Chinooks flew over a Queensland farm, home to several thousand crocodiles.
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These crocodiles copulated 'like mad'
But what could have been going through the minds of these crocodiles, who suddenly decided to organize a 'croco-orgy' at the Koorana Crocodile Farm? Farm manager John Lever isn't sure, but he testifies:
All the big males stood up and roared and mooed skywards, then, after the helicopters had left, they mated like mad.
The passage of these choppers would indeed be linked to the start of this massive mating session, and although John Lever isn't sure, he asserts that:
There's something in the sound waves that really agitates them.
Helicopters reproduce the sound of rain
Marine crocodiles, like those at the Koorana Crocodile Farm, reproduce mainly during heavy rains... The idea being that the eggs are not drowned under torrents of water due to the rainy season. What does this have to do with helicopters?
There are several theories, but according to herpetologist Mark O'Shea:
Chinooks can artificially recreate the sound of the onset of a thunderstorm.
Live Science also suggests that:
The sound of a Chinook's powerful rotors can resemble that of competing crocodilian males, such as the low roar of males searching for a mate, or the sound of males hitting the water with their jaws - another territorial and seductive behavior.
In other words, the crocodiles may have mistaken the noise of the helicopters for that of a storm, glanced at each other longingly and then launched into a massive act of passionate copulation. Think about it the next time you fly over Australian crocodiles: you could be directly responsible for the birth of baby reptiles.
This article has been translated from Gentside FR.
Read more:
⋙ Elderly woman feeds sticky rice to crocodiles in a pond
⋙ The female of this species can grow a 'penis' to penetrate males
⋙ Can animals be gay? Here are the top 10 species attracted to the same sex
Sources used:
LiveScience: 'They mated like mad': Low-flying helicopter sparks massive crocodile orgy in Australia
