Florida’s beaches are one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country.
But there is more to them than fun in the sun.
And a terrifying discovery on a Florida beach led scientists to make this grim decision.
Crocodile becomes a regular at a Florida beach
Alligators have become the unofficial mascot of Florida and are a common sight in the state.
The American crocodile, a cousin of the alligator, is a rare sight in the wild in Florida.
Florida’s crocodile population fell to about 200 in the mid-1970s and ended up on the endangered species list.
There are about 2,000 crocodiles in Florida today compared to more than one million alligators.
Crocodiles prefer warmer weather compared to alligators and can reside in brackish and saltwater along the coasts.
They look similar to alligators, but they have a few key differences.
Crocodiles have narrower snouts with more teeth visible when their mouth is closed.
They have a grayish color compared to green for an alligator.
South Florida is the only place in the United States with crocodiles.
In recent years they have begun to expand their range.
A crocodile that had a tracking device placed on him by researchers began to travel from South Florida up the Atlantic Coast to Melbourne Beach in Brevard County.
The crocodile first appeared on the beach in 2019 and began making regular trips back.
He quickly became a star on social media for soaking in the sun at the beach as the waves crashed into him.
8 foot crocodile on the beach at Sebastian Inlet, FL. pic.twitter.com/lsAliuxMSm
— The Space Coast Rocket (@CoastRocket) November 3, 2022
There have been 14 reported sightings of this crocodile since 2019 in the Brevard County area.
Crocodiles venture out from South Florida
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission research scientist Vinnie Deem told Florida Today that crocodiles are expanding their range beyond South Florida.
“While the majority of the population is still concentrated in coastal South Florida, as their numbers have increased, crocodiles have slowly begun to reoccupy areas of their historic range where they have long been absent, both northward and throughout the Keys,” Deem explained.
Only a few of the crocodiles have traveled further away from their normal homes.
Crocodiles have been spotted as far north as the Tampa Bay area on the Gulf Coast.
Deem said that each crocodile seems to develop their own unique travel patterns.
“Something we have already noticed is that each crocodile we have tracked exhibits somewhat unique movement patterns,” Deem stated. “Some utilize a very small home range, while others travel far and wide.”
Scientists have noticed that crocodiles living in more developed areas tend to travel less.
“Several crocodiles we have tagged travel back and forth between both urban and wilderness areas. They are able to swim dozens of miles in a few days if they want to so a croc spotted in an urban area today may be out in Everglades National Park tomorrow and vice versa,” Deem added.
They share a similar diet to alligators, but they will also eat green iguanas, geese, and ducks.
Crocodiles are shy and try to avoid any contact with humans.
There have only been three recorded crocodile attacks against humans in Florida and none of them were fatal.
Crocodiles are one of the many unique animals that call the Sunshine State its home.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.
