Rockodile mug

When the Rockodile was a wee lad, his mum and dad played scratchy Elton John records over and over. One of the songs stuck in his head and his fate was sealed!

He’s spent years hunting fruitlessly for yellow brick roads and horny back toads. Sadly, he still hasn’t realised those are native to North America and hardly ever found in Africa. Fortunately, the Rockodile has a successful night job as a drummer in a popular band and has a faithful following comprising hundreds of howling old owls and some meerkats.

Got an expat in your life or simply yearning for the sights, sounds and wildlife of the bushveld? Our Lesser Spotted African Wildlife mugs are guaranteed to teach you lots of stuff you didn’t know about Africa and its lesser spotted and not quite as well-known, though even more fascinating inhabitants.

About our LESSER SPOTTED AFRICAN WILDLIFE latte mugs:

This is what you get when you buy mugs from Stuff by Jools, you lucky person, you!:

• ○ 12oz (350ml) Lesser Spotted African Wildlife cone-shaped latte mug
• ○ Premium grade ceramics with scratch-resistant finish
• ○ Dishwasher- and handwash-friendly
• ○ Microwave-safe
• ○ Individually hand-made in Cape Town
• ○ The perfect gift for coffee, tea and hot chocolate lovers: friends, family members or loved ones – or for you!

*Please don’t scrub hard with bleach and a scourer, even if you’re a die-hard germaphobe (true story) – treat your Rockodile mug gently and it’ll give you years of pleasure and amusement.

ALL ABOUT CROCODILES:

The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is the only crocodile species (of which, our friend, the Rockodile, is one) found in the wild in South Africa. As it’s an apex predator, it deserves its own theme song, like the shark, but doesn’t have one (gap in the market, anyone?).

They’re mostly found in the Northern and Eastern parts of SA – there are tons of them in the Kruger National Park and elsewhere in rivers, lakes, freshwater marshes, estuaries and mangrove swamps. Nile crocs are primarily freshwater reptiles, but can tolerate brackish water and are sometimes found in coastal areas. A few years back, quite a few of them escaped from a crocodile farm and made their way down the Breede River, never to be seen again. I’d advise you be on your guard if you’re anywhere in the vicinity as you never know! One could be lurking.

KEY TRAITS:

Size: These beasts average between 2.5 and 4.4m in length and from 225 to 750kg in weight. Some males even reach up to 5.5m long and a horrifying 1000kg. They are not cute and cuddly at all.

Best known for: Being a powerful apex predator that has hardly (if at all) changed for millions of years. And its many, many sharp teeth.

Lifespan: They typically typically live for 15 to 20 years in the wild and 25 to 29 years in captivity.

Social Structure: Crocs have a size-based hierarchy, in which dominant large males get access to the best basking spots and food sources. They bask a lot! When they’re not busy murdering anyone or anything that crosses their path, that is.

Their Diet: While most of their diet (70% of it) is fish, crocodiles are not fussy at all and don’t discriminate against anyone.  Whoever ventures near the water is fair game – impalas, wildebeests, zebras, porcupines, young hippos or buffaloes, or you! The juveniles have some redeeming qualities though as they primarily eat insects, spiders, frogs and small fish.They usually lurk menacingly and motionless just below the water’s surface before lunging.

Breeding: Breeding is seasonal and peaks at the beginning of the rainy season. In November and December, female crocs dig hole nests in sandy banks, where they lay 25 to 100 eggs, which are incubated for about 3 months. The parents help hatchlings by gently rolling eggs in their mouths to crack their shells and then, the young are guarded in “crèches” for up to two years by the mums.

Spoor Description: Their spoor is of a five-toed front foot and a four-toed, webbed hind foot, both of which have sharp, conical claw marks. The Rockodile seems to be missing one of his back toes, sadly. Sorry about that.

Collect the full set of 12 Lesser Spotted African Wildlife mugs and give your family and friends an inspirational topic for filling awkward silences.