The Everglades is home to some of the most dangerous critters in the country.
Visitors watched something rarely seen by humans.
And a video in the Everglades showed an alligator in one fight that left tourists stunned.
A crocodile and an alligator battle in the Everglades
The swamps and wetlands of the Everglades National Park in South Florida are home to a large population of alligators.
More than 1.3 million alligators call Florida home, and there’s about one for every twenty-three people residing in the Sunshine State.
An alligator sighting in the Everglades is a common occurrence.
Tourists saw one of the rarest battles in nature when an alligator squared off with an American saltwater crocodile for a place to sun.
Parkgoer Taylor Bonachea recorded a video of the two massive reptiles near the Shark Valley Observation Tower in Everglades National Park.
View this post on Instagram
The alligator and crocodile have their mouths open and are snapping at each other in the video.
Both reptiles can be heard hissing and growling at each other as they engage in combat.
It appeared that the alligator was retreating from the fight, but the crocodile chased him down and went after the gator’s head.
American crocodiles can grow to be 20 feet long and weigh more than 2,200 pounds, while male alligators average about 11 feet and can weigh more than 800 pounds.
In the end, the crocodile won the battle of the reptiles and got the spot in the sun to bask.
“The alligator goes into the water and leaves the immediate vicinity in defeat, and the croc gets her nice sunny spot to bask in the sun,” Bonachea told Storyful.
Alligators are in their mating season that begins on April 1, so they are more aggressive than normal.
Crocodiles are more territorial than alligators, who look to avoid most conflicts.
American saltwater crocodiles are a rare sight in Florida
Florida is the only state in the country where crocodiles are found in the wild.
They reside in the mangrove forests and saltwater ponds, marshes, and creeks.
Crocodiles prefer brackish and saltwater, while alligators prefer freshwater, which is why their paths typically do not cross.
“Florida crocodile populations have rebounded from a few hundred individuals to as many as 2,000 adult crocodiles today,” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Public Information Coordinator Lauren Claerbout said.
Crocodiles have a grayish-green color, while alligators have a dark green, almost black color.
They also have a narrower snout than alligators and have all of their teeth visible when their mouths are closed.
Wildlife photographer Kym Clark recorded a video of a massive crocodile in the Everglades in 2023 that she nicknamed Croczilla.
“Wakey, wakey, Big Boy! Watch this little Yellow Rumped Warbler wake up Croczilla by landing on his back! Miraculously, this is my second sighting of the elusive Croczilla this year! He is the largest wild American Crocodile reported in Everglades National Park, one of the few places you will see crocodiles in Florida as they are listed as a threatened species,” Clark wrote on social media.
View this post on Instagram
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
