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-- A l l i g a t o r s --
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| Q 1. | ||
| Is it true that there are no crocodiles in south Florida and that when people speak of crocodiles they actually mean alligators? What is the difference between the two and where else are crocodiles found? |
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| Q 2. | ||
| While anchored in my boat yesterday evening in Harness Creek, a tributary of South River which joins the Chesapeake Bay a few miles south of Annapolis, I saw something in the water which may have been an alligator. The creature was three to four feet long and above the surface. The slightest motion on the boat would alarm it, and it would sink quietly. I have never heard of alligators in these waters, and I wonder if you can tell me of any previous reports. |
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| Q 3. | ||
| What is the difference between the crocodile, alligator and cayman? Which lives generally in salt water and which in fresh water? Are all of them native to Florida? |
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| Q 4. | ||
| Could you recommend a book describing crocodiles? |
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| Q 5. | ||
| Do crocodiles live in Florida and if so, are they dangerous? |
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| Q 6. | ||
| Which is more dangerous – a crocodile or an alligator? |
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| Q 7. | ||
| When reading the article about crocodiles in the July-August 1989 Sea Frontiers, I was struck once again by reference to the keen hearing of these reptiles. Several years ago, my hunter-guide in Zimbabwe, Africa cautioned me to be very quiet because of this. Does anyone know exactly how well a crocodile can hear? |
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| Q&A 1. | Is it true that there are no crocodiles in south Florida and that when people speak of crocodiles they actually mean alligators? What is the difference between the two and where else are crocodiles found? Ft. Lauderdale, Florida |
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| There are crocodiles in south Florida, although they are more scarce than alligators. They can be found in the wilder parts of the Everglades National Park and rarely in the Keys. The crocodiles are usually found inhabiting more salty waters while the alligators are found in the more brackish and fresh waters. The difference between alligators and crocodiles that is most apparent is the appearance of the snout. In the alligator the snout is blunter while in the crocodile it is more pointed. Besides living along the Gulf of Mexico, crocodiles are found over a large part of Africa, in India, southern China, Malaysia and South and Central America. |
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| Q&A 2. | While anchored in my boat yesterday evening in Harness Creek, a tributary of South River which joins the Chesapeake Bay a few miles south of Annapolis, I saw something in the water which may have been an alligator. The creature was three to four feet long and above the surface. The slightest motion on the boat would alarm it, and it would sink quietly. I have never heard of alligators in these waters, and I wonder if you can tell me of any previous reports. Annapolis, Maryland |
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| The northernmost range of the alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, is given by Ditmeers, 1945, The Reptiles of North America, as North Carolina, and this was in the last century. The range of the alligator today probably does not go beyond southern South Carolina, although there is always a possibility of an escape from an animal collector. |
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| Q&A 3. | What is the difference between the crocodile, alligator and cayman? Which lives generally in salt water and which in fresh water? Are all of them native to Florida? Miami, Florida |
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| The crocodile’s head tends to run to a very narrow breadth from the eyes to the nostrils and the general color throughout the body and head is grayish. The alligator’s head is somewhat broadened at the snout. The head of the cayman is more like that of the alligator but is not so broad. Alligators and caymans are greenish-black in general coloration. The crocodile is the only one of the three that is found mainly in salt water. Alligators and crocodiles are both native to Florida, but the cayman has been introduced here. |
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| Q&A 4. | Could you recommend a book describing crocodiles? Colton, California |
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| We suggest that you consult the book Reptiles of the World, by Raymond Ditmars. One species of crocodile, Crocodylus acutus, occurs in south Florida. Here the range once extended from Volusia County, on the Florida east coast, southward through the keys and northward on the Gulf coast, at least to Collier County. This species is restricted to marine and estuarine situations, extending south to the Greater Antilles (except Puerto Rico) and along both coasts of Central America. Central American crocodiles have been treated by some herpetologists as separate species. The maximum length quoted for Florida crocodiles is between 14 and 16 feet. |
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| Q&A 5. | Do crocodiles live in Florida and if so, are they dangerous? Orlando, Florida |
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| The American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus, is sometimes seen in the salt and brackish waters along the southeast coast of Florida. Everglades National Park biologists maintain lists of specimen seen in Florida Bay between the Florida Keys and the mainland. The crocodile is normally very timid and difficult to approach, although it may be much more aggressive than the alligator if cornered. Captive specimens usually retain their viciousness, but no record has is available of an attack by one of these crocodiles on a person. The crocodile may be distinguished from the alligator by its long-pointed, rather than paddle-shaped, snout and by its somewhat lighter color. The crocodile may grow to a length of 14 feet. |
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| Q&A 6. | Which is more dangerous – a crocodile or an alligator? Leeds, England |
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| Crocodiles are much more dangerous than alligators. Both crocodiles and alligators belong to the order Crocodilia, and both are referred to as crocodilians. The largest and most ferocious of all crocodilians is the estuarine, or salt-water, crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). This aggressive animal may be responsible for more than 2,000 human deaths each year. In some areas, it is feared more than sharks. C. porosus is the largest, living reptile. Its average adult length is 4.3 to 4.9 meters, but lengths as great as 7.2 meters have been recorded. The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is also a dangerous predator and may be responsible for more than 1,000 human deaths each year. In the United States, the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is considered more aggressive than the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). The aggressiveness of crocodilians should be respected. People should not feed crocodilians and should not swim in waters they inhabit. Children and dogs (convenient-sized prey) should not be allowed to walk alongside waters inhabited by these potentially dangerous reptiles. |
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| Q&A 7. | When reading the article about crocodiles in the July-August 1989 Sea Frontiers, I was struck once again by reference to the keen hearing of these reptiles. Several years ago, my hunter-guide in Zimbabwe, Africa cautioned me to be very quiet because of this. Does anyone know exactly how well a crocodile can hear? Dallas, Texas |
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| No. Experiments in hearing generally require training an animal to perform in response to auditory signals. This has not proven possible, or economical, with large dangerous animals such as crocodiles. Therefore, conclusions about comparative or potential sensitivity of a crocodile's hearing are based on anatomical comparisons. The fundamental anatomical reason for the sensitivity of a crocodile's hearing lies in its cochlea, where auditory signals are processed before being sent to the brain. The cochlea in a crocodile is much longer and has 10 to 100 times more hair cells than the cochlea of other reptiles. This gives the crocodile, scientists believe, its acute hearing. Crocodiles frequently engage in intraspecific aural communication. They growl, hiss, and make other sounds that have some importance in their competition for space or for mates. Therefore, it is expected that they have developed good hearing. It is also believed that, at least below 10,000 Hertz, the sensitivity of the middle ear in crocodiles is approximately the same as that in mammals. |
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Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Library
University of Miami, FL USA 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149 Phone: 305 421 4060 Fax: 305 421 9306 E-mail: libcirc@rsmas.miami.edu |
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