Using DNA analysis, University of Florida researchers have confirmed the capture of multiple Nile crocodiles in the wild.
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Nile crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus, were responsible for at least 480 attacks on people and 123 fatalities in Africa between 2010 and 2014.
While the researchers believe there are likely more Nile crocodiles lurking in the state, Allyson Gantt, a spokeswoman for Everglades National Park, where one of the Nile crocodiles was found, told AP she does not believe there are other Nile crocs roaming the park.
Published: Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 3:55 p.m..
Scientists have confirmed the discovery of three man-eating Nile crocodiles in Miami, leading experts to warn that successful reproduction could lead to an Everglades population.
A new paper from the University of Florida said that the crocodiles are probably brought into the state illegally.
Scientists weren’t sure what the young crocodiles were but knew they weren’t the typical American crocodiles that call the Everglades home.
The paper shows that DNA samples proved the animals captured in 2009, 2011 and 2014 are Nile crocs. They’re fearsome killers, blamed for about 200 human deaths each year in Africa.
“They didn’t swim from Africa”, University of Florida herpetologist Kenneth Krysko said.
Krysko, who works at UF’s Florida Museum of Natural History, said the captured crocodiles matched genetically, meaning they are related to one another, but didn’t match Nile crocs kept at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and other licensed Florida attractions. Alligator snouts are rounded, with few exposed lower teeth.
Whether more Nile crocs are out there may be unknown, but scientists did find that the animals could thrive in Florida. And no, crocs and alligators can’t interbreed.
The second, a female measuring 4 feet, was captured at a park. They require fresh water, abundant prey and year-round warm weather. Florida wetlands as well as coastal areas of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas would also provide ideal refuge for the Nile croc.
While there is now no evidence of an established population, study scientists recommend a scientific risk assessment to evaluate the potential for Nile crocodiles to breed and spread across the state.
“I have two words: Burmese python”, Joe Wasilewski, a researcher who worked on the study, told The Associated Press. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
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