Cruising In South Florida

[HopCar]

"All else in this post is likely quite accurate, but for the sake of truth, I want to point out that the crocodiles in south Florida are not "Nile" crocodiles."

Hudson Force, it was in fact a Nile Crocodile that was caught in the Fruit and Spice Park. Possibly one of the ones mentioned by Blue Crab in post 59.

Here are a couple of photos of my yard. The big guy is a Florida crock and was very shy. The damn iguanas are not shy and love to destroy vegetable gardens.

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Sources repeatedly mention escapees as real Nile crocs, Cap.

On the python issue, as HopCar mentioned, the environment will change. I went looking for blogs on pythons and found one via Slate. Turns out the pythons are vulnerable to fire ants while protecting their eggs. The glades are apparently lousy with fire ants, itself an invasive exotic.

That was the good news. For the bad news see:

Green anacondas in the Everglades: The largest snake in the world has invaded the United States.

a drop-dead fascinating read and weep.

Good Lord, what next? Ravenous Loch Ness monsters??

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

It just gets better. I was just reading a 2 year old story in the Miami Herald about some Nile crocs that have escaped from SFL breeders, probably illegal imports anyway. There is a shoot to kill order out for them as our American crocs are relatively docile but the Nile ones are aggressive, and bigger, and kill some 2500 Africans yearly.

Govt sources don't think they will breed with the local yokels. Famous last words? The govt knows best, right?


Maybe these Carolina winters aren't so bad after all.


There are currently an est 1.3 million gators in Fl. Good deal. I'd say that gives them a fighting chance against the pythons.

You do know there is documented cases of a python killing and eating a gator right?

[Blue Crab]

Yes sir.

[Hudson Force]

HopCar & Bluecrab, I did a little searching and found that you are right! I'm so disappointed that the Nile croldiles are in South Florida. ....the Walking Catfish, Cuban snails & the South American poisionous toads were the main invaders of the 1960's; then the iguanas, Boas & Tegu lizards. Now the pythons, Nile crocodiles, monitors & anacondas. Native plants are at risk with the invaders too. I grew up in South Florida in the 1950's & '60's,- it's a different ecosystem now!

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

....... - it's a different ecosystem now!

The largest change coincides with the invention of air conditioning!!!

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by DotDun

The largest change coincides with the invention of air conditioning!!!

Ha ha. I suspect you are correct, sir. No reason to leave us out of the discussion on the changing ecosystem. We are the giant python constricting the ecosystem, cutting off the waterflow with each new development, crowding the animals, altering nature plain and simple. Marj Douglas and Rachel Carson are restless in their graves.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by DotDun

The largest change coincides with the invention of air conditioning!!!

If you want people to leave South FLA, turn off the AC. Few people would stay. I looked at old maps date prior to AC and back then most people lived right next to the ocean. Why? To catch the breeze and stay out of the swamps. With AC, people moved inland once the swamps where drained.

I spent quite a bit of time in the Water Management Areas, aka the Everglades, around 1990-92. I was out on land and in boats during the day and night and never saw one of these snakes. I left Florida as the first rain band of Andrew hit and it seems like the snake population started as a result of the escaped pets from the storm. I really wonder what these snakes are going to do to the bird and deer population... Tain't gonna be good.

The Walking Catfish are Zombie Fish from Hades. Unreal. I have seen fishery biologists leave the catfish on the bottom of a hot aluminum boat in the summer and the fish lived. Then the fish were measure, backs broken and tossed into the weeds to die since they are non native. But you would hear the Walking Catfish, who had been at of the water for hours, broiling in the sun and frying on the bottom of the boat trying to crawl back to water with a broken back.

I have seen the water "boiling" over hundreds of feet from the huge number of Oscars biting. Yes, Oscars that people keep in fish tanks. I saw two boats that had come down from SC to fish specifically for Oscars. The fish were a pound or so in size, put up a good fight and supposedly tasted good. Since it is non native there is no limit, catch and keep as many as you want. One boat had about 50 fish on board and the other had about 75 and it was mid morning.

Years ago I did see that the state was taking out the Maleucca trees. I hope that works. Not sure how they will ever remove the Brazlian Pepper Bush....

FLA has way to many invasives but NC is not that far behind at least with plants. Course the worst invasive in FLA is two legged.

Later,
Dan

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Better stay home, might get hit by a bus! ----
No fear of the sharks, barracuda, tarpon, and mangrove snapper?

LMAO! New movie due out this fall to be titled "Revenge of the Mangrove Snapper".

[Robin3]

Nobody so far seems worried about the black bears which are particularly fond of sweet snowbird meat, I understand.

[HopCar]

Hudson, There isn't a breeding population of Nile Crocks in Florida yet. We think the one caught in the park lake was put there as a joke.

In Florida it's against the law to keep native animals as pets. It seems pretty easy to keep non-natives. To my way of thinking, if you're dumb enough to want a crock for a pet, let them have a Florida crock. No need to bring in a Nile crock.

Here is a story about the Nile crocodiles in Florida: Two-year search for deadly Nile croc ends with capture in Everglades National Park - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

[Blue Crab]

In the immortal words of Capt H L Menchen:



In many books of quotations and on thousands of websites H.L. Mencken is credited with the famous quote “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”