American Crocodile, Survival in the Balance

This is the third in our series examining the past and problematic future of the American Crocodile.

At the campus of the University of Florida, Gainesville the Crocodile Specialist Group works to provide evidence that this once robust Florida native is now sufficiently recovered from near extinction to be considered a renewable resource. Crocodylus acutus, or "American Crocodile" seen here in a family portrait along side its much larger prehistoric ancestor "Super Croc" has become the object of interest for industry research centers planning a not so pleasant future for our Florida croc.

an excerpt from our story Super Croc vs The U of Florida, a Fighting Ground.



The Estuarine Crocodile or "Saltwater Crocodile" native to Australia is the world's largest living reptile typically growing up to 19 ½' in length and weighing as much as 2400 lbs, although larger individual sightings have been recorded. Despite their astonishing size the modern croc is small compared to its prehistoric ancestor Sarcosuchus imperatoro or "flesh crocodile emperor" which was a whopping 40' long and managed very nicely, thank you, during the early Cretaceous, 110 million years ago. The size of a London tourist bus this prehistoric animal lived at the top of his food chain and nothing was safe in its world.


Read the entire story "Super Croc" on the Animal Broadcast Network.