TREE CLIMBING CROCODILES, ROCKING EAGLES, AND DANCING SPIDERS
JULY 5, 1964
They had been on the island for almost two weeks when Gilligan asked the Professor if he could show him something he discovered in the jungle. The Professor agreed and they packed some supplies and they headed into the jungle. The Professor followed Gilligan for about an hour until the came upon a marshy area.
"You'll never believe what I saw in here yesterday," Gilligan began. "A crocodile that can climb trees!"
"Gilligan," The Professor began, sighing. "It is physically impossible for crocodiles to climb trees!"
"No, it isn't Professor," Gilligan replies. "Look!"
The Professor looks to where Gilligan is pointing to and across from them they see a small crocodile about four feet in length. It was reddish brown in color and had thick black stripes along its torso. It had big webbed feet and long curled claws. As they watched it stood up on its hind legs, placed his front feet on the tree and began to climb. It climbed about six feet then climbed onto a thick branch and stopped. They heard a snap to their right and looked up. They looked up and saw another crocodile up in a tree with feathers poking out of his mouth. Then they heard a hissing coming right next to them. They look down and see a crocodile right next to their feet.
"Hey there," Gilligan replies and before the Professor can stop him he kneels down and begins to pet the crocodile. The Professor can't believe what he is seeing.
"Good boy!" Gilligan states as it snorts. "Sorry I mean good girl!"
The crocodile then rests her head on Gilligan's knee as he continues to pet her. After a few minutes the crocodile crawls away from them and into the water.
"I told you!" Gilligan states leaving the Professor speechless.
0o0o0o0o
Later that day Gilligan is fishing in the lagoon and the Professor is sitting on a fallen log writing in his journal as a rock song by that singer Preston Allan comes on the radio.
"Psst Professor!" Gilligan whispers.
The Professor looks and Gilligan is pointing to a rock at the edge of the lagoon. He looks over and sees what looks like an eagle with a pale grey head that was double crested, black wings and neck, a white body and black and white striped legs.
Gilligan kneels down into the sand so as not to disturb it as he flies off the rock and lands next to the radio. Gilligan stands still and holds his breath fearing that it's going to take the radio. Then it screeches and begins to bob its head and march in place.
"Rock on Rocky!" Gilligan replies as he and the Professor watches the eagle dance along to the music.
When the song finishes the eagle bounces up to Gilligan and he extends his hand and pets the eagle on the head. Then Gilligan reaches into the bucket and hands it a fish. The eagle screeches, takes the fish in its beak and flies off.
"What kind of eagle was that Professor?" Gilligan asks after a few seconds.
"That was a Harpy eagle." The Professor replies still amazed at what he keep seeing.
0o0o0o0o
The next day Gilligan and the Professor were deep in the jungle picking bananas when he calls the Professor over to see something. The Professor comes over and looks to where Gilligan is pointing to.
There were two blue grey spiders on a low hanging branch the size of a small fist. As they watched one of them flattens their abdomen which has the pattern of a peacock tail feather, raises it front legs and back legs and begins to move back and forth while shaking its abdomen. The second spider, whose abdomen has three red dots and what looks like a sideways eight, copies the first spider's movements. After a few seconds they meet in the middle and appear to dance the tango.
"Come on Professor let's go!" Gilligan replies nervously. "I don't want to see where this goes!"
"Afraid of spiders Gilligan?" The Professor asks as he follows after him.
"No but I don't have to be a genius to know that they're probably poisonous!" Gilligan replies. "I thought it would be best to get away before we bother them!"
"Good call!" The Professor agreed.
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A/N: The crocodile species I described is a species I made up. However it is true that small species of crocodiles and small alligators can climb trees.
Harpy Eagles do exist they're just rare and not normally found in Hawaii.
The spider I described is a species I made up but is based off the idea of the peacock or gliding spider. They do dance but are only 5 mm in length.