Reptile expert Dr Brady Barr's "miraculous" crocodile language has helped him study all the world's 23 species of crocodilians in the wild.

 

He used croc talk when he found a nest of rare baby alligators in Anhui Province -- he mimicked the babies' cries to call their protective mother, one of a critically endangered species. Then he captured her, studied her, took her DNA and released her.

 

Last week at Shanghai Xintiandi's UME International Cineplex, Dr Barr was eager to share this "expertise" in croc talk with the audience who had watched a National Geographic TV program covering his historic achievements in studying the endangered ancient reptiles worldwide.

 

Barr has captured specimens of all species in Asia, Australia, Subsaharan Africa, North Africa, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and South America. He took DNA samples, photos, measurements, studied habitat, diet and collected other information.

 

The Chinese alligator, also known as the Yangtze crocodile, inhabits the lower ranges of the Yangtze River.

 

It may be the rarest of the world's crocodilians and is one of the world's two species of alligators -- the other is the American alligator.

 

Only about 150 are thought to exist in China.

 

They are only about two meters long at most, they eat molluscs and snails, as well as handy ducks. Loss of habitat through pollution, damming and development is driving them to extinction.

 

Barr unexpectedly encountered a nest of 100 baby alligators -- a gold mine for a biologist. "The babies, just the size of a candy bar, climbed onto my hand and cried to me, as if I were their mother. That was an amazing feeling."

 

The reptiles have their own language and hierarchy, he said.

 

The Shanghai Discovery Channel will air "Dangerous Encounters," four National Geographic documentaries, this month. They chronicle Dr Barr's capture of crocs, interaction with snakes and his adventures in the depths of caves to search for all manner of dangerous serpents, lizards and other reptiles.

 

Croc talk is not difficult, he says. "It is not hard to pronounce, just like 'ow'," the 44-year-old US scientist says, joking. "I hope next time I come to Shanghai, we can say 'hello' to each other in this special language. Remember, only the right pronunciation will ensure your cordial reception, otherwise you will be 'eaten."'

 

Baby crocodiles always use that sound to call their mothers and Barr's perfect imitation lured many mother crocodiles for study.

 

"Crocodiles are intelligent and complex animals," Dr Barr says. "They're not cruel 'killing monsters' as many people think. Most crocodiles take care of their kids even better than humans. We should respect them and marvel at their unique beauty."

 

Barr says crocodiles in normal settings do not make unprovoked attacks on humans and make sounds and movements to warn humans away.

 

Poachers catch crocodiles for their valuable hide. But what has driven Dr Barr for more than 15 years, through 50 countries and regions is a passion to save crocodilians, including alligators, caimans and all their variations in the wild.

 

They face extinction because of shrinking natural habitat and hunting. Today, nearly one third of all croc species are endangered.

 

There are so many "incredibles" about crocodiles. They are among the oldest animals on Earth, and have lived on the planet for about 200 million years.

 

They have the strongest bite, about 5,000 pounds of force per square inch.

 

 

Like many of his peers, Dr Barr was interested in dinosaurs during his childhood. "But crocodiles survived the global environmental changes that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs," he notes. "They have fabulous intelligence and strength."

 

Dr Barr grew up in Indiana in the United States, calling himself "a product of America's zoos and museums." Lizards, snakes and turtles were his boyhood companions.

 

He was a high school biology teacher in Indianapolis, but then earned his PhD in biology at the University of Miami in Florida. There he started looking at the diet of alligators in the Everglades and realized how little the scientific community knows about the crocodilian species.

 

In 1997 he joined National Geographic as a resident herpetologist and TV host for the channel's reptile documentary series that was aired worldwide. "What the channel seeks is real science, real scientists and real adventure. It is not a Hollywood production."

 

When he tracks across a jungle or paddles his way up a river, searching for a unique population of crocodiles, he always works with a local expert.

 

However, catching crocodiles is dangerous. Barr uses rope, fishing nets, a remote-controlled toy car as a lure and even his bare hands.

 

He was once tangled in the rope that tied the crocodile to the bottom of the boat. "The darkness and silence was scary."

 

Snake encounters have been terrifying because there was no chance of emergency medical attention. He was once bitten on the nose by a snake -- fortunately, it was nonpoisonous.

 

"The snake moves so fast that you're bitten before you know what's happened," he adds. "With crocs, you can sometimes afford to make a mistake. But with some snakes, you make one mistake, and you're history."

 

Airing of the National Geographic series means Barr will have 300 million students learning about crocodiles.

 

April 7 "Dangerous Encounters: Super Snake"

 

April 18 "Dangerous Encounters: Countdown Crocs"

 

 

April 21 "Dangerous Encounters: Bite Force"

 

April 28 "Dangerous Encounters: Dens of Danger"

 

Shanghai Documentary Channel, 5:30 PM

 

 

(Shanghai Daily April 2, 2007)