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Air Force Sonic Booms Ignite Crocodiles' Sex Drives

Posted by samzenpus on from the making-beautiful-booms-together dept.

It turns out the key to a male crocodile's heart is a sonic boom. Crocodiles at an Israeli farm have begun making mating calls in response to sonic booms created by air force planes breaking the sound barrier. From the article: "The males have already begun their mating calls, described by the newspaper as 'the sound a vehicle breaking,' normally reserved for the crocodiles' spring mating season, Israeli newspaper Maariv reported. David Golan of the Hamat Gadar crocodile farm in the Golan Heights, believes the reptiles were responding to the sonic booms, wrongly believing they were the calls of rival males encroaching on their territory

37 of 61 comments (clear)

  1. Correlation != Causation by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I actually think they have it backwards.

    I think the crocodiles have increased their sex drive for their own reasons, and through an incredibly long chain of butterfly effects, like a Rube Goldberg machine, this has caused more pilots than usual to break the sound barrier.

    1. Re:Correlation != Causation by dtmos · · Score: 4, Funny

      ... through an incredibly long chain of butterfly effects ...

      It's not that long. Who wouldn't go faster if chased by amorous crocodiles?

    2. Re:Correlation != Causation by morgaen · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I'd wager that was the uniforms that were making the crocs randy...

    3. Re:Correlation != Causation by x2A · · Score: 1

      No, this story's from Israel, you're thinking of Soviet Russia.

      --
      The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
    4. Re:Correlation != Causation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Actually, the story is from Syria. The Golan Heights is occupied territory, not Israeli territory.

    5. Re:Correlation != Causation by Klinky · · Score: 1

      "Don't worry! It doesn't want to eat you, it only wants to rape you!"

    6. Re:Correlation != Causation by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2

      "Don't worry! It doesn't want to eat you, it only wants to rape you!"

      So... no foreplay?

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    7. Re:Correlation != Causation by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 1

      A girl crocodile

      --
      I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
    8. Re:Correlation != Causation by x2A · · Score: 1

      You're absolutely correct about GH, I didn't read the article enough to see where abouts in "Israel" it was supposed to be. I feel slightly dirty now. Thanks for the correction.

      --
      The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
    9. Re:Correlation != Causation by Kilrah_il · · Score: 1

      As an Israeli citizen, I can attest that most Israeli pilots are indeed positively affected by horny crocodiles. In fact, one of the tests they use to screen out new recruits is to see how they react to lizards. If you don't go all "They are so cute, I just wanna fly all over the place after seeing them", you don't pass on to the next phase of screening.

      --
      Whenever in an argument, remember this.
    10. Re:Correlation != Causation by Old+Sparky · · Score: 1

      That makes sense - fighter pilots are always accused of having Alligator Mouths and Canary Assholes.

    11. Re:Correlation != Causation by stdarg · · Score: 1

      1. It says "Golan Heights" in the summary, you don't even need to read the article.
      2. The *story* actually is from Israel. TFA says the story was reported by "Israeli newspaper Maariv."
      3. How can you be concerned about occupied territory in a place where borders were completely and artificially redrawn by foreign powers after WW1? Why not return control to Turkey, not Syria? Or maybe Italy?

    12. Re:Correlation != Causation by x2A · · Score: 1

      Oh no, I must have read part of it and missed a couple of words, I'm sorry for not going back and checking the exact bits that I must have read... oh wait, no I'm not.

      My concern is of the mistreatment of people, wherever that may be. I think the way the land was just divided up was wrong, but mostly because of that primary concern: the way people were treated by the process.

      Wow, you really need things spelt out for you huh.

      --
      The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
    13. Re:Correlation != Causation by x2A · · Score: 2

      I would say the USA was taken over rather than occupied... occupied implies that the previous inhabitants were left alive, and that's hardly the case. And no, I'm not an American, nor would I want to visit such a country.

      I do also know that "negotiate" has a rather special meaning for Israel.

      --
      The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
    14. Re:Correlation != Causation by stdarg · · Score: 1

      Oh no, I must have read part of it and missed a couple of words

      I was just pointing it out, it's a common joke on slashdot. People don't even read the summaries these days..

      My concern is of the mistreatment of people, wherever that may be.

      Okay, but the way you put "Israel" in scare quotes and agreed with the other poster was placing the emphasis on who is involved, not just how people are being mistreated.

      In reality, it is unfair to blame Israel more than Syria. Neither country drew up the original border to begin with, and Syria played just as large a role in militarizing Golan Heights in the 40s and 50s as Israel. So if you are actually concerned about mistreatment of people and not politics, why would you say "Israel" in scare quotes and say you feel dirty but not "Syria" as well? How is Syria better in this situation?

      I don't need everything spelled out for me, but I am genuinely confused about your apparent sincerity in helping people mixed with your partisan criticism of Israel and support of Syria.

    15. Re:Correlation != Causation by x2A · · Score: 1

      "why would you say "Israel" in scare quotes and say you feel dirty but not "Syria" as well?"

      Your deflection is most disingenuous. I can't put a word in quotes in I didn't even use that word, can I? So your problem is that I talked about one country, and you think that I can only talk about one country if I talk about every other country in the world as well, otherwise it's "not fair"... gonna complain that I haven't talked about Egypt or Jordan as well? Well I'm flattered that an opinion of mine isn't enough and you just need to hear more from me about surrounding areas as well, but I do suggest instead that you grow up.

      --
      The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
    16. Re:Correlation != Causation by stdarg · · Score: 1

      I can't put a word in quotes in I didn't even use that word, can I?

      Okay true enough but I'm sure you know what I meant.

      So your problem is that I talked about one country, and you think that I can only talk about one country if I talk about every other country in the world as well, otherwise it's "not fair"...

      What I have a problem with is your statement that all you really care about is mistreatment of people, when your previous statements do not support that. They show that you are more interested in blaming Israel in particular than blaming all the parties responsible, or looking for a solution for Golan Heights residents which today includes many Israelis. Golan Heights, whether you like it or not, is in many ways part of Israel now, and has been for longer than it was part of Syria.

      The reason I have a problem with your style of argument is that I see it as the biggest stumbling block to the Middle East peace process. Nobody puts forward real arguments or speaks frankly and openly. Everybody hides behind fake humanitarian games. The Israelis don't want to secure water rights etc, they want "freedom and democracy." The Palestinians don't want economic strength and an army to fight Israel, they want "freedom from persecution." Huh, weird, everybody supports freedom, yet they still can't agree I wonder why that is? It's all BS and your style of argument, pretending to only have noble goals like preventing mistreatment of people, while your words are purely anti-one-side, plays right into that.

      But maybe that is really how you feel and I've misinterpreted and twisted your remarks. To me, your words sound very partisan and one-sided. If all you want is peace, I apologize.

    17. Re:Correlation != Causation by x2A · · Score: 1

      I think you're reading what I said the way you want to. Fact of the matter is that the way Israel has behaved has been appauling, and that is a fact. Morality does not work on a 'lowest common denominator' basis, the actions of others is NOT a defence for the immorality of the actions of oneself. As it's not a defence, it must be a deflection, and I am not going to play that game with you.

      --
      The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
    18. Re:Correlation != Causation by stdarg · · Score: 1

      The deflection is that you are taking one argument "mistreatment of people is bad" and using it as a proxy for another argument "Golan Heights does not belong to Israel" and ignoring all the steps inbetween. They are not synonymous arguments.

      Now look at this:

      the actions of others is NOT a defence for the immorality of the actions of oneself.

      You are the one trying to use the morality of the situation and yet this statement about the actions of others contradicts that. The actions of Israel are not a defense against the immorality of Syria, right? So your argument that Syria has some moral claim to Golan Heights is a contradiction. Instead we have to look at fact, not morality. Israel occupies it, many Israelis live there, it's a strategic asset, whatever. There are many non-moral reasons that point to "Golan Heights belongs to Israel."

      So since you are not going to justify one breach of morality with another, what reason do you have for returning Golan Heights to Syria? Remember you can't use the morality (or lack thereof) of Israel, according to your own argument.

  2. Re:It also ignites... by aquila.solo · · Score: 2

    by TrisexualPuppy (976893) on 16:32 20 December 2010 (#34622660)

    ...However, since it has sex, no matter how obscure it is, it's on the front page. Nice job, Slashdot!

    I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know there's some irony here...

  3. which means by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    that's kind of a big party after each launch at cap canaveral !

  4. Sonic booms by willoughby · · Score: 1

    Sonic booms are not caused by a plane "breaking the sound barrier". They are a result ... oh for petes sake just look it up already.

    1. Re:Sonic booms by Threni · · Score: 4, Informative

      I looked it up. It's a result of the Israel airforce deliberately flying too fast and too low over the land they illegally occupy to traumatize the civilian population, and cause miscarriages amongst the animals which form.....woah! Is that the new Justin Bieber single?

    2. Re:Sonic booms by imunfair · · Score: 1

      Not knowing much about sonic booms I decided to take a look at the Wikipedia article - it seems to indicate that sonic booms are created by overpressure (of air being forced out of the way of the plane) and that the booms continue the entire time the plane is over mach 1.1 or so (boom carpet?)

      If that isn't right feel free to correct me. I always thought the boom was only on entering/exiting mach 1, so that's news to me.

  5. "the sound a vehicle breaking"? by dtmos · · Score: 1

    Breaking how? Transmission failure? Frame fracture?

    Did TFA mean, by chance, "the sound a vehicle braking"?

    1. Re:"the sound a vehicle breaking"? by Keramos · · Score: 1

      It was probably either bad editing or the "I have no real idea of what I'm talking about, it's that sciencey stuff" version of "vehicle breaking the sound barrier".

    2. Re:"the sound a vehicle breaking"? by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      That might be what they meant.

      I found a vid that shows the mating call:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAvBADYVb8g&feature=related

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    3. Re:"the sound a vehicle breaking"? by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      I'm surprised they described it that way. The crocodile mating call is like a very low growl mixed with a bass rumble (it actually makes the water shake off their backs as they float at the surface). It sounds sort of like a big engine shutting down actually.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  6. I for one... by Yosho-sama · · Score: 1

    I for one, welcome our horny crocodile overlords.

    --
    My kingdom for a donkey!
  7. Ahh, good old Hamat Gader by pclminion · · Score: 1

    My now-wife and I spent a day hanging out there... Enjoying the Roman baths.. Some drinks by the soaking pools... Then a quick jaunt in our bathrobes over to the crocodile holding tanks. Romantic? Not quite the word I'd use, but it was fun. Just don't drink so much that you start getting the crocodile pool confused with the bath house.

    (No, seriously, I'm not making it up. Hamat Gader is one of the world's finest Roman-bath-slash-crocodile-farming establishments I've ever visited.)

    1. Re:Ahh, good old Hamat Gader by psm321 · · Score: 1

      (No, seriously, I'm not making it up. Hamat Gader is one of the world's finest Roman-bath-slash-crocodile-farming establishments I've ever visited.)

      Do you visit such establishments often?

  8. Sonic Boom = Crocodile Boner? by Trip6 · · Score: 1

    Any photographic proof? News of the weird lead story!

    --
    I hate being bipolar; it's awesome!
  9. They may be slow, cold-blooded reptiles... by SlovakWakko · · Score: 1

    ...but in their hearts, they soar high above the clouds.

  10. Could it be something about the weather? by Sun · · Score: 1

    Of course, sonic booms are a much more likely explanation than, say, the fact that the winter is slow to arrive this year, and the weather feels like to spring.

    Shachar

  11. Not all creatures... by splerdu · · Score: 1

    get excited by sonic booms.

  12. 'the sound a vehicle breaking,' by Kupfernigk · · Score: 2
    That would be "thump, bang, oh shit, can I see your documents?"

    Can nobody spell "brakes" nowadays? Or is this some obscure dig at Toyota's overpublicised little problem?

    --
    From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
  13. Re:It also ignites... by TrisexualPuppy · · Score: 1

    Hahaha, I get it. Irony. Now go back to your cave and continue painting.