Nile Crocodile Found in Florida, with notes on Fla.'s other exotic reptiles & mammals

[findi]

Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a herpetologist, zoologist, and book author, recently retired from a career spent at several zoos, aquariums, and museums, including over 20 years with the Bronx Zoo.
Yet another Floridian reptile drama has made headlines. Earlier this month (March, 2014) officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FFW) reported that a Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) had been captured in the northwestern Everglades. Although the origin of this particular animal may be known, it is not the first Nile Crocodile to have been captured in the state, which is now home to an astonishing 500+ species of non-native animals (and a great many plants)! And while Nile Crocodiles are a rarity in Florida, the possibility of hybridization with the native American Crocodile (C. acutus) may be a concern. In the course of my work in zoos and via contacts with commercial croc farming projects, I’ve seen many examples of hybrid crocodiles. I cared for a Cuban Crocodile x American Crocodile cross, and Siamese Crocodiles are regularly interbred with others on farms. Hybrid crocs were even openly offered for sale as “pets” back in the “Wild West” days of the pet trade (and perhaps still are?). Read the rest of this article here Croc Found in Fla.: Is World [FONT=&quot][/FONT]
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My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: That Pet Place welcomes Zoologist/Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio to That Reptile Blog | That Reptile Blog

Best Regards, Frank

 

[Ted]

Frank,,I think I grew up in the 'wild west ' pet shop era..I had a baby 'aligator' when I was a kid, probably around 1965 . You go to woolworths dept store and buy a baby alligator for four dollars.thats what they said it was.all my friends had one..later I thought it was a caimen..but now it might be some hybrid? Doesn't really matter ,Catskill game farm ended up with a lot of them.

 

[findi]

Frank,,I think I grew up in the 'wild west ' pet shop era..I had a baby 'aligator' when I was a kid, probably around 1965 . You go to woolworths dept store and buy a baby alligator for four dollars.thats what they said it was.all my friends had one..later I thought it was a caimen..but now it might be some hybrid? Doesn't really matter ,Catskill game farm ended up with a lot of them.

Hello Ted,

Yes, I remember well! Woolworths in the Bronx also had an amazing array of finches - some rarely seen even in zoos today; most were $1.99/pair in the '60's!. I worked in pet stores that sold chimps, kinkajous and such...and black footed ferrets could be ordered via mail for $35!

The "gators: were usually spectacled caiman, imported cheaply from Central and South America. At that time. American Alligators were scarce due to hunting pressure, and commercial farming had not yet begun in a big way.
Best, Frank