According to The Guardian reports, recently a team of researchers at the University of Florida discovered a number of Nile crocodiles living in the swamps of Florida. The team’s research was recently published in the Journal of Herpetological Conservation and Biology.

The research which lasted 14 years (from 2000 to 2014) took place in Miami-Dade and Hendry counties. During this time, the researchers studied four ‘nonnative crocodile species from which they were able to determine using DNA analysis that two of those species were very closely related to the Nile crocodile.

The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is native to South Africa and is an aggressively opportunistic apex predatory species. It is believed to be the 2nd largest extant reptile worldwide. The Nile crocodile can thrive in various types of aquatic environments such as marshlands, rivers and lakes.

Averagely, the adult male Nile crocodile measures between 3.5 and 5 meters (11ft 6” and 16ft 5”) in length. It weight between 496 to 1,653lb. (255 to 750 kg). Nonetheless, there have been recordings of specimens surpassing 6.1 meters (20ft) in length and 2,400lb (1,090kg) in weight.

Florida is renowned to have the most introduced reptiles and amphibians worldwide, the study reports. Four species of nonnative crocodiles have been introduced in the waters of Florida in the past 5 decades. However, the Nile crocodile is a dangerous creature. Between the year 2010 and 2014, the Nile crocodile was accountable for 493 attacks on humans, of which 354 were fatal.

This species of animal are very adaptive and feed on fish, birds, reptiles, mammals and even alligators and other crocodiles native to Florida, according to The Guardian report. Surprisingly, they are relatively social among themselves. They share large food sources such as large carcasses and schools of fish, and even basking space, but not with the native Florida crocs. Possibly there are more of these species of reptiles in Florida than the ones recorded by the researchers.

Nile crocodiles are patient creatures. They can wait for hours, days or even weeks for the perfect moment to attack. Who’s to say they cannot survive in Florida’s wilderness for numerous years to come?

Co-author Kenneth Krysko stated in the study that it’s probably unlikely for those who study Florida reptiles to have identified all the Nile crocodiles out there. Krysko said, “We know that they can live in the Florida wilderness for several years and that they grow fast here, and we’ve also identified their behavior in their native range, therefore nothing suggests that that would alter here in Florida.”

Even though the two Nile crocodiles were linked genetically, how they found their way to Florida is still a mystery. The Guardian reports that their genetic build is different from other crocodiles in the zoos in Florida.
The author of the study recommends that the wildlife agencies in Florida perform a risk evaluation and employ safety measures to safeguard the native species in the state from the Nile crocodile.