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| Rare crocodile spotted in Florida | Courtesy of Shondra Farner |
The rare and endangered American crocodile was spotted by Shondra Farner in her backyard by the community pond Saturday. While crocodiles are common in Caribbean and South Florida, experts say it is extremely unusual to see them in central or north Florida. In fact, when Farner called to report her find, the wildlife official didn't initially believe her.
"He said, 'No, ma'am, you have an alligator,' and I said, 'No, I know the difference,'" Farner told Associated Press.
Farner can definitely recognize her reptiles. She and her husband recently went to a trip to Costa Rica which allowed them to see some very large crocodiles. She knew the one she spotted sitting on their back lawn the past weekend was no alligator.
"That big boy was just about 8 feet (2.5 meters) from our patio," said Farner. "It's terribly scary looking. And fast. When he turned to leave, I couldn't believe how quick he was."
Farner was able to take photos of the massive reptile, making it the first documented and confirmed sighting of an American crocodile in the Bay Area in years.
By Thursday, experts from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came and set up a trap to catch the reptile.
Since the crocodile is an endangered species, it cannot be killed. Officials plan to implant a magnet meant to disorient the animal and prevent it from returning to neighborhoods and release it into Tampa Bay.
The gender of the crocodile has not been determined.
According to wildlife officials, the croc is about 20 years old and is one of only about 1,500 known to exist in Florida. Distinguishing it from a Florida alligator, officials said the crocodile's snout is distinctively more slender.
The rare crocodile is possibly the same reptile spotted south of St. Petersburg in 2008, a wildlife official said. The official added that the crocodile feeds on ducks that swim in the water.
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