Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) can survive perfectly in the reed beds of South Florida. In fact, they are likely even able to reproduce and thrive in this swampy region . A team of herpetologists from the University of that state has discovered three young specimens of this invasive species while conducting an extensive study on the populations of crocodiles that inhabit the Everglades.
According to an article published in the Journal of Herpetological Conservation and Biology , in the course of the investigation, carried out between 2000 and 2014, the scientists came across two of them swimming in the wetlands and another one on the porch of a house in Miami . Through a DNA study they also verified that these animals, which can reach five meters in length and weigh about 700 kilos, were related to the Nile crocodiles that live in South Africa.
“It is highly unlikely that we have found all the specimens,” says Kenneth Krysko, a reptile expert at the Florida Museum of Natural History and a co-author of the essay. “We know that they can survive for many years in this new environment and we know their behavior in the environment from which they come; there is no reason to suppose that this would be different in Florida, ”he adds. What’s more, Krysko and his colleagues found that one of the Nile crocodiles had developed 28% faster than it would have in its habitat .
The analyzes confirmed that all three are genetically identical , suggesting that they were introduced from the same source, perhaps as a result of pet trafficking. Although it is not proven that there is a population of these reptiles settled in Florida, scientists have recommended studying the impact that this phenomenon could have in the region. In addition, they recalled that between 2000 and 2014 there were at least 480 attacks by Nile crocodiles on people in Africa . 123 of them were fatal.
Image: Bernard Dupont via Flickr / CC
