The Nile crocodiles aren’t the first invasive species to find the Florida climate favorable; the Sunshine State probably has more invasive species than anywhere else on the planet.
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This invasive species, with its voracious appetite, may now become the top predator in the region, supplanting the Burmese python.
In other words, there likely are more. Nile crocodiles can grow up to 18 feet long and weigh as much as a auto, according to a press release. With Florida and the Gulf Coast’s sub-tropical climate, it is entirely possible for the Nile crocodile to become an established species in the US, according to the study. They can grow up to 16 to 20 feet in length, weigh up to 1650 pounds, and kills almost 200 people a year reported, Huffington Post.
Researchers and witnesses have already confirmed that there are three Nile Crocodiles captured near Miami.
It’s also known to prey upon humans, among other animals. That means the crocs probably were brought to Florida illegally by an unlicensed reptile collector who either didn’t contain them properly, allowing them to escape, or, more sinisterly, planted them in the Everglades in hopes they would multiply. 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.
Using DNA analysis, researchers at University of Florida confirmed the capture of three Nile crocodiles in the wild.
For example, the invasion of the Burmese python, the largest snake species in the world, has prompted an annual hunting competition to mitigate the snake’s population. But the Nile crocodile may be the most dramatic.
This 2012 photo provided by Joe Wasilewski, shows a Nile crocodile that he found in Homestead.
Typical American crocodiles have never been responsible for a human death.
As for the less common American crocodile, a threatened species that is “shy and reclusive”, there are only extremely rare reports of conflicts with people, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife brochure.
“DNA analysis revealed the three similar-size Nile crocodiles were genetically identical, suggesting they were introduced via the same source, but the source has not been confirmed”, Dr. Krysko said.
Thankfully, there’s no evidence of an established population growing in Florida.
Scientists had extensively sampled DNA of live Nile crocodiles housed in USA zoos. “But this time it isn’t just a tiny house gecko”.
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“The invasive crocodiles were captured between 2000 and 2014, leading us to analyze their DNA, study their diet and one of the animal’s growth”, said co-author Dr. Kenneth Krysko, a researcher with the Florida Museum of Natural History. In addition to a wide variety of game animals, the creatures also feast on other varieties of crocodiles and alligators.
