This chap is the in the middle of dinner, the greater portion of a water buffalow carcass (from a Leopard kill) had been dragged into the water away from other carnivors allowing him to fling it around to break off appropriately sized pieces for swallowing.
Marsh or Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) - Yala, Sri Lanka
Canon 7D
Canon 500mm F4 L IS plus 1.4 Extender
F4
ISO500
1/16000th
Tripod
Evaluative Metering -2/3
Test adapted from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mugger_crocodile
Mugger Croccodile (literally "crocodile of the marsh"), also called the Indian, Indus, Persian, or Marsh crocodile, is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries. It is one of the two crocodilians found in Sri Lanka, the other being the Saltwater crocodile.
The name "mugger" is a corruption of the Hindustani word magar which means "water monster". This is in turn derived from makara, the Sanskrit word for crocodile.
Old, mature males can attain 4 to 5 m (13-16.5 feet),however the largest animal recorded was 16.8 ft but individuals exceeding 14 feet are exceptionally rare, and these can weigh more than 450 kg (1000 lbs). Mugger crocodiles can achieve speeds of around 8 mph over a short distance in pursuit of prey. They can swim much faster at 10 to 12 mph in short bursts,when cruising they go at about 1 to 2 mph.
The mugger crocodile can be found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, the southern tip of Iran and probably in Indo-China and Southern Iraq. The mugger is the only crocodilian found in Iran and Pakistan. This crocodile is the most common and widespread of the three species of crocodiles in India, far out numbering the much larger saltwater crocodile within the country (and most likely within neighboring countries).
Mainly a freshwater species, the mugger crocodile is found in lakes, rivers and marshes. Muggers prefer slow-moving, shallower bodies of water rather than, fast-flowing, deep areas. Also known to thrive in man-made reservoirs and irrigation canals. Although it prefers freshwater, it has some tolerance to saltwater therefore is occasionally reported from saltwater lagoons. It is adapted to terrestrial life like its cousin, the Cuban crocodile, more than most crocodilians, but is ecologically most similar to the African Nile crocodile. It is known to be more mobile on land, can migrate considerable distances over land in search of a more suitable habitat. It can chase prey on land for short distances. They are also known to dig burrows as shelters during the dry seasons.
Being a large carnivorous reptile, the mugger crocodile eats fish, other reptiles and small mammals, such as monkeys. In fact, most vertebrates that approach to drink are potential prey, and may suffer being seized and dragged into the water to be drowned and devoured at leisure. Large adults will sometimes prey on large mammals such as deer, including the 225-kg sambar deer, and the 450-kg domestic water buffalo. There are reports of attacks on humans and there has been at least one confirmed fatality in Iran (on a child). This species is generally considered to be occasionally dangerous to humans, but nowhere near as notorious as the much larger (and, in India, less common) saltwater crocodile.
Location: Yala Sri Lanka