Crocodile

Nesting Croc Found in Key Largo Yard’s Mulch Pile

By KEVIN WADLOW kwadlow@keynoter.com

State wildlife officers took a clutch of crocodile eggs from Key Largo into protective custody this week. American crocodiles can make good mothers — but one made a poor nesting choice in the front yard of a Lake Surprise subdivision home, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reptile specialist Lindsey Hord said.

“It was not good spot for a croc nest,” Hord said. “If the eggs hatched, the babies would have been right there on the street.” One baby crocodile has since hatched in captivity and seems to be doing well, Hord said. The future of the remaining half-dozen eggs was uncertain at press time Friday. Two hatchings died in Key Largo soon after they hatched Wednesday. “It could have been stress-related or fire-ant bites,” Hord said. “Just a few ant bites can kill a hatchling, and there were fire ants in the nest.”

The homeowner on Upper Matecumbe Road, off mile marker 106, recently alerted the FWC that a sizable crocodile “was scratching around” a mulch pile in his front yard in what he correctly perceived as nesting activity, Hord said. When the owner was moving the mulch pile earlier this week, he discovered the nest. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies later observed the protected crocodile, estimated to be 7 to 8 feet long — the minimum size for a breeding female.

“We decided the best thing to do was move the nest,” Hord said. The crocodile was not at the Key Largo property when the nest was removed. The crocodile laid 22 eggs but most had been mortally damaged by the inadvertent yard work or by movements of the mother herself. “The homeowner is tolerant of the croc, which we appreciate,” Hord said. “He just hopes she figures out a better place to nest next time.”

“Alligators are famous for being good mothers,” he said. “Crocs are, too, but a little less so. This one is a good mother, hanging around the nest.” “There were five or six potentially good eggs,” Hord said. “They don’t look great but we’ll give them a few days to see if they hatch out.” The biologist is watching over the eggs at a Broward County site.

Any survivors will be released “into a suitable crocodile habitat,” he said, probably in or near protected waters of the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge on North Key Largo. The crocodile is known as a regular visitor and has nested in the Lake Surprise subdivision previously. The canal used by the leads to the bayside Sexton Cove.

The croc’s remaining eggs have been moved to Broward County. One has already hatched.

Crocs Cleared of Crunching Key Largo Kayakers

State wildlife officials said Wednesday it is “highly unlikely” that a crocodile or alligator attacked two Upper Keys kayakers last month.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers and biologists have investigated the claim that an American crocodile was responsible for injuring two kayakers during an early morning trip in Sexton Cove in Key Largo, agency spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro said.

The FWC cannot determine what the kayakers encountered, but found no indication of a multiple-tooth bite pattern characteristic of a crocodile or alligator bite, and said the scratches were not consistent with either a bite or the number of toenails on either reptiles’ feet.

It is possible a large crocodile or alligator overturned the kayak in an attempt to flee, but no animal reportedly was seen, Ferraro said.

The kayakers — Leigha Poulson and Mike Gregory — reported hitting something in the water and overturning. While in the water, something brushed against them, leaving them with abrasions and punctures, they said.

American crocodiles, a shy and reclusive animal, are an endangered species success story. Since 1975, their numbers have increased from fewer than 300 to more than 1,500 adults. Today, they are classified as a threatened species.

As the crocodile population has grown, the number of complaints about them has risen, Ferraro said. Conflicts between crocodiles and humans, however, are still very rare. Because crocodiles grow large, people must use caution when near them or recreating in areas where they are found.

Poulson and Gregory reported having their kayak flipped by a large animal they did not see, and neighbors in the area had told them that crocodiles are known to inhabit those waters, he said.

“I landed on something big and hard,” Gregory said. “I felt its tail.”

Gregory didn’t feel a bite, but suffered some kind of puncture wounds, he said.

For more information about living with crocodiles, visit MyFWC.com/Crocodile.

Key Largo Croc on a Ramp

The Spring Break Croc has definitely moved into the neighborhood. I see her in the canal mornings and evenings and she frequently warms up in the boat ramp. She only occasionally gets into the flower bed but moves close to watch/listen whenever I make any noise in the area.

I am purchasing the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder in hopes of capturing both the egg laying and hatching 80 days later.

Stay tuned.

Night of the Crocodile – Caution

The Spring Break Croc was not around when I got home this afternoon. I decided to take this time to add more compost and mulch to the nest site. After about an hour of work I was finished and I hoped the croc would be happy with the results, about an additional 8 inches of rich compost and mulch. It was about 6pm and I checked around the canal bank and she was nowhere in site.

I went back outside just after sunset and saw her near the boat ramp. I went over to the nest site to see if she had been in it, she hadn’t. When I went to take another photo of her at the ramp she had left and I saw her head at the bank next to the nest site. I walked back to that area and was preparing to photo her when suddenly she was ashore. When I say suddenly she was ashore, I am not kidding. She went from fully in the water to fully on land, up a 2 foot high embankment, so fast it almost seemed impossible. If I had been standing on the bank there would have been no way to move away in time.

Talk about a wake up call. I have seen, on TV, plenty of film of Crocs attacking prey on waterway banks and am always amazed at the explosion of motion. Seeing this first hand was fantastic. She obliviously doesn’t simply climb up the canal bank but uses her tail to catapult herself out of the water and onto land. Once she was on land she just sat there motionless for some time. After taking some photos I left her alone for the rest of the evening.

She’s Baaack! Spring Break Croc Returns

After two days of not seeing the Spring Break Crocodile, or any obivious signs, finally on Thursday morning the nesting site was all dug up again. Mike had smoothed out the previous digging so I could detect any new activity. And she was in the water this morning. I was happy I had not disturb her and caused her to abandoned this nest site.

When I came home in the afternoon she was basking in my boat ramp which is on the other side of the property from the nest site. I didn’t bother her any more today but went to bed happy that she seems to have found a nesting site she likes.

Croc Researcher Visits Nest Site

Tuesday evening I got a visit from Mike, an American Crocodile researcher for the State of Florida. Unfortunately the Spring Break Croc didn’t make an appearance, for the first time since Saturday. Mike checked out the nest site and determined, as he suspected, that no egg laying has yet occured. This usually occurs in late April or early May. Mike told me this is the time that the female crocodiles are checking out nest sites to try to determine the best site and since she has been hanging around for several days and continues to enter the nest site and dig, he suspects she likes the location.

He related some stories of other Upper Keys nestings, including some others on occupied property, and let me know that if I had no objections they would let nature take its course. He requested I keep him informed and he hoped to get a chance to see the crocodile. I showed him some of my photos and using this photo he was able to identify the Spring Break Croc by clippings of the tail scoots (the bony ridges along each side and top of the tail) from a previous capture in May of 2005.

Spring Break Visitor – A Real Croc Story

This beautiful Saturday morning I was able to sleep in until around 10am since the neighborhood was surprisingly quiet. This despite having wonderful spring weather expected for the entire weekend and it is Spring Break time. Usually my subdivision, primarily second or vacation homes, becomes quite active on specific weekends and holidays. You can understand my surprise when I woke to a near silent morning.

As I made my way to my canal side patio I looked toward my usually empty neighbor’s yard to see if they had made the trip down to paradise. I never noticed if anyone was there since this is what greeted me. This is an American Saltwater Crocodile sunning itself in an empty raised flower bed.

I live near the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and have seen Crocs in my canal and occasionally sunning on my boat ramp as well as in the surrounding waters while boating. This was the first time I have had one well out of the water in my yard. I guess it is time for a little autobio. I have lived all my life, 50+ years, in South Florida and have spent many hours enjoying subtropical nature. I worked for 11 years as an Animal Control Officer where I handled many different animals other then the standard dogs and cats, including the occasional small alligator. I also, for a number of years, was a State licensed, nuisance wildlife trapper although I never handled gator or croc complaints. So as you might surmise, I didn’t run frightened into my home and dial 911. I did go inside but it was to get my camera so I could get some pictures before she disappeared back into her watery world.
Read more…