# Would you dangle your month old child over a hungry Crocodiles head? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 5, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807 "2004-01-05T14:27:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/41 "2004-01-08T17:44:24Z")
One difference is that Jackson had merely the strength of his arm protecting his kid. Irwin had the strength of his arm plus years and years of professional training and the knowledge needed to keep he and his kid safe. Granted, neither situation is 100% safe, but I’d say Irwin’s was way closer. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/42 "2004-01-10T22:10:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cher3 \* > \*\*I was manhandling a chicken the other day, in preparation for roasting it, and I just wanted to say that the tactile resemblance between a baby and a good sized roaster when held under both “arms” is quite startling. > > I’m not sure why I’m bringing this up. The walkabout portion of the video just reminded me. > > Carry on. \*\* Yeah, but wouldn’t the croc go by scent, as opposed to sight? Still, he may know what he’s doing, but I still say it was a pretty stupid thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![BraveNewSquirle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@BraveNewSquirle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraveNewSquirle)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/43 "2004-01-10T22:47:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kung fu lola \* > \*\*I am also goaded by the fact that IMHO, people should start being a little more cavalier with their kids. There are too many parents who raise their children in a bubble, _a la_ Marlin in _Finding Nemo_, and never let anything happen to them. \*\* As an old wise man once told me, “right on brotha” I totally agree ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/44 "2004-01-11T11:19:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Yeah, but wouldn’t the croc go by scent, as opposed to sight? > \*\* A lot of amphibian and reptilian species hunt by sight, and a lot of amphibian (I can’t remember about reptiles offhand) visual systems are motion-based. You put a dead fly in front of a hungry frog, he’ll sit there and stay hungry. The fly smells like his normal food, and it looks like his normal food, but since it’s not moving the frog literally doesn’t see it, so he doesn’t realize it’s there. So, no, crocs don’t necessarily go by scent instead of sight. Even if they did, the baby would smell like the animal that brings food, not like the animal that _is_ food. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807.md?page=2)