Hey this is at the Naples FL zoo
Also, alligator not crocodile, and the pond does in fact contain that big old boy.
Interesting fact, there are saltwater crocodiles in southern Florida, and the keys. It’s, I believe, the only place in the world that has crocodiles, alligators, and Amazon caiman.
I live on a sailboat in South Florida and there is a salt water croc that lives about 500 yards from me in some mangroves. It’s not as large (bulk) or as long and has a narrower body than an alligator, and just LOVES to eat iguanas.
Like the iguanas, pythons, anacondas, etc etc the caimans arrived with the exotic pet trade. You could purchase a <1 foot caiman in the early 80s in Florida for under $60. Then once those mean aggressive bastards got 3-5 feet people just dumped them in the woods/swamps.
Between the American alligator, saltwater croc or caiman, Ill face the caiman last. Those fuckers are mean AF, territorial and did I mention mean?
[edit - American Croc, not one of those dinosauric African/Saltwater monsters]
I can confirm this dude’s statement about caimans. I used to hang out in their neck of the woods a looong time ago when I was a teenager. A few minutes away from Key Biscayne is a little tract of federal land where an old squatter named Jimbo built himself a little shanty town in a cove. He’d sell smoked fish and if you left cash on a counter, you could grab canned beer from a nearby cooler. My friend and I would see all kinds of wildlife in the nearby trails and water, usually gators, deer, and manatees. A few times we did see caimans, and they were always the most hostile fuckers. We called them Meth Gators.
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Salties in southern Florida? Pretty sure you are mistaken. I think the only croc in the US is the American Crocodile.
They live in saltwater, so maybe I referenced them incorrectly.
My friend, you are the one who is mistaken. I have personally seen crocodiles in the Everglades. I’m from Florida and certainly know the differences between our reptilian neighbors.
I think the only croc in the US is the American Crocodile.
True, there’s one species. But there are more than one of those crocs.
He is doing an big steppy
So the reality is much less harmful and also cuter. Got it.
Gator!
