Rare crocodile found by Florida woman

Rare crocodile: The shy and reclusive animals are so rare in central or northern Florida that a wildlife official didn't initially believe Shondra Farner when she called to report the crocodile on the bank of a lake in a gated community in St. Petersburg.

By Associated Press / September 22, 2011

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In this photo provided on Sunday by Shondra Farner, a nine-foot-long rare American crocodile is seen laying on the bank of a lake in a gated community in St. Petersburg, Fla. While crocodiles are found in the Caribbean and South Florida, it is extremely unusual to see them in central or northern Florida. There are only 1,500 of the shy and reclusive reptiles in the state.

Shondra Farner/AP

St. Petersburg, Florida

Alligators are a common sight in parts of Florida, but residents of a gated community were shocked to spot one of the animal's reptilian cousins: An endangered American crocodile.
Crocodiles — which number about 1,500 in the state — are typically found some 300 miles (500 kilometers) south in the warmer Florida Keys. But the shy and reclusive animals are so rare in places like St. Petersburg that a wildlife official didn't initially believe Shondra Farner when she called to report the crocodile.
"He said, 'No, ma'am, you have an alligator,' and I said, 'No, I know the difference,'" she said.

IN PICTURES: Giant reptiles

Farner spotted the croc over the weekend in her backyard by the community pond. By Thursday, experts hired by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had set a cage trap filled with beef loin in hopes of capturing the giant reptile. Unlike alligators, the endangered crocodile can't be killed. But officials will release it into Tampa Bay and could implant a magnet meant to disorient the animal and prevent it from returning to neighborhoods.
"That big boy was just about 8 feet (2.5 meters) from our patio," said Farner, who snapped photos of the croc with its mouth open. "It's terribly scary looking. And fast. When he turned to leave, I couldn't believe how quick he was."
The reptile's gender is unclear.
Lindsey Hord, the crocodile response coordinator for the wildlife commission, said it's possible that this is the same reptile spotted south of St. Petersburg in 2008. Hord said the crocodile is living on the ducks that swim in the water.
Farner had recently seen crocodiles on a trip to Costa Rica and recognized the animal's narrower, more triangular snout. Alligators not only have wider, more rounded snouts, but they also don't like the brackish and salt waters that crocs can live in.
Hord said that despite their ferocious reputation, the state has never documented a crocodile bite, though people are occasionally bitten by gators. Still, she urged people to not feed or touch alligators or crocodiles and to keep pets away from them.

Rare Crocodile Found By American Shondra Farner At St. Petersburg, Florida (Photo)

By Alex Madlangbayan on Sep 23, 2011 in

Rare crocodile
Image Credit: Shondra Farner

A rare crocodile was spotted by a resident of St. Petersburg in Florida, according to reports by several international news sites on Thursday, September 22, 2011.
Shondra Farner found the rare crocodile in her backyard and reported it to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Commission last Sunday, September 18, 2011. She was able to take a photo of the rare crocodile with its mouth wide open from about a distance of 8 feet.
On Thursday, September 22, crocodile experts hired by FWC put up a crocodile cage trap filled with beef loin in an attempt to catch the endangered American crocodile.
Reports say that there are about 1,500 crocodiles in Florida and they are usually found at 300 miles south in the Florida Keys where it is warmer.
FWC officials revealed that when captured, a magnet will be implanted on the rare crocodile and it will be released into the Tampa Bay. The magnet will help disorient the rare reptile and prevent it from returning to neighborhoods.
According to Lindsey Hord, the crocodile response coordinator for the wildlife commission, this may be the same crocodile that was reported in 2008.
Officials said that the rare crocodile may be feeding itself with ducks that swim in the water.

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