Croc! Today’s crocs accessibility tour

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This section includes 2 audio files

Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends, Today's crocs audio description and transcript includes:

  • Today's crocs
  • Skull selection
  • Description of skull selection display

Part 2 includes:

  • Skull interactive installation
  • Brass croc skulls

Descriptive transcript

You have entered a new section. A panel on the wall summarises this section with the following text:  

TODAY'S CROCS

Today we have 26 species of crocodilians across the world, divided into three families (research may find more): 

  1. Crocodiles [with] 16 species
  2. Alligators and caimans [with] 8 species
  3. Gharials and false gharials [with] 2 species 

The easiest way to tell them apart is by the shape of their snouts.

Imagine they’re balancing on the tips of their noses [and the shape it makes corresponds to a letter of the alphabet]: 

  • Crocodiles have pointed V-shaped snouts.
  • Alligators have blunter U-shaped snouts.
  • Gharials have skinny I-shaped snouts.

They all live in aquatic environments – rivers, lakes and coastlines – in warm climates.

 

A panel on the wall summarises the next display, with the following text:  

SKULL SELECTION

These skulls are from 16 of the 26 crocodilian species currently recognised. Most are replicas (four, including the two Australian species are real). 

Crocodilian skulls provide clues about their lives.

Their size and shape reveal their species and what they’ve adapted to eat. Heavy-duty skulls handle bigger prey. Slender skulls snap up speedy fish.

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

A tactile sign is mounted on a wall. It features text and Braille, and tactile illustrations of different types of crocodilian skulls. The sign is split into three sections:

  • Crocodiles - on the left
  • Gharials - in the middle
  • Alligators and caimans - on the right.

There is a tactile vertical line between each section so you can feel where each section ends and begins.

Begin at the left-hand side of the sign, where nine species of crocodile skull are displayed. You will feel four skulls on the top row, and five on the bottom row.

Take some time to feel the four upper row skulls from left to right.

They are:

  1. West African dwarf crocodile
  2. Mugger crocodile
  3. Siamese crocodile; and
  4. New Guinea crocodile

On the lower row are five skulls. From left to right, they are: 

  1. Slender-snouted crocodile
  2. Nile crocodile
  3. American crocodile
  4. Saltwater crocodile; and
  5. Freshwater crocodile

The middle section of the sign is the gharial section. It is separated by the tactile vertical line. There are two skulls in the middle section of the sign. From left to right, they are: 

  1. False gharial; and
  2. Gharial

 

The final, right-side section of the sign displays the alligators and caimans. Five skulls are arranged with three small skulls on the top row, and two large skulls on the bottom row.

From left to right, the top row is:

  1. Cuvier’s dwarf caiman
  2. Chinese alligator; and
  3. Broad-snouted caiman

From left to right, the bottom row is:

  1. Black caiman; and
  2. American alligator

 

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

The main feature in this section is a large, interactive installation displaying different real, and replica, crocodilian skulls. The skulls are mounted on the wall and in front of the display is a touchscreen control panel where visitors can select different options to learn more about the crocodiles, alligators, caimans or gharials on display. As visitors make their selections, different skulls are illuminated in bright and different-coloured spotlights according to the selections made - such as size, food or family. Some selections also activate animations that are displayed between the skulls. There is a soundscape that responds to the selections made on this interactive display.

 

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Also in this section is a display with two brass saltwater crocodile skulls that can be touched.

Notice the nostrils on the top of their snouts, which allow them to breathe when the rest of their head is submerged.

A text panel on the wall reads:

Feel the bumps and ridges on these skulls. You can see them on live crocs too, because only a thin layer of skin covers their skull. Mostly made of dermal bone grown within the skin, crocodile skulls change shape as they age, growing thicker and more robust to help deal with larger prey. The smaller skull is from a younger croc.