![]() Male American crocodiles can grow to be about 15 feet (5 m) long, while females typically range between 8 and 13 feet (2 to 4 m) in length, the FWC described in a fact sheet. American alligator males reach 10 to 15 feet (3 to 5 m) in length on average, and adult females can grow to be 10 feet long, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). However, they were genetically identical to each other, hinting that they originated from the same source-likely, they were escapees originally brought to Florida for the exotic pet trade, the scientists suggested.įlorida's native crocodilians-the American crocodile ( Crocodylus acutus) and the American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis) are somewhat smaller than the Nile crocodile and do not typically prey on people. The USGS added that Nile crocodiles preying on humans in Africa have been "well documented" since the 1950s, and the scientists reported in their study that Nile crocodiles were responsible for 480 attacks on people across their range in Africa between 20, resulting in 123 deaths.ĭNA taken from the captured crocs did not match samples from Nile crocodiles kept in Florida zoos. A full-grown Nile crocodile is an opportunistic predator that eats whatever big animals it can catch, such as zebra, buffalo, "and any other animal it can overpower, swallow whole, or rip apart and ingest"-even people, according to a nonindigenous aquatic species fact sheet published by the U.S. Nile crocodiles ( Crocodylus niloticus) measure about 16 feet (5 meters) long, on average, but can grow to be 20 feet (6 m) long, the scientists wrote in the study. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. In fact, they found that the crocodile grew about 28 percent faster during that period than juvenile Nile crocodiles typically grow in parts of their native African ranges. The scientists caught three young crocodiles-one of which was captured on the porch of a Miami home-and, through genetic analysis of tissue samples, confirmed that they were invasive Nile crocodiles, connecting them to crocodile populations in South Africa.Ī female crocodile captured in 2012 was released and later recaptured in 2014, providing the scientists with proof that the Nile crocodile species could survive and thrive in the Everglades for nearly two years. Nile crocodiles-American crocodiles' larger, more aggressive cousins from the African continent-have been identified in the wild in southern Florida for the first time, according to a new study.īetween 20, scientists responded to reports from Floridians of "unusual looking" crocodiles, the study authors said. ![]() Florida's native alligators and crocodiles could be facing some new competition-from a bigger and meaner member of their own crocodilian family.
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