Florida's American crocodiles

Only place alligators and crocodiles live together

• FWC says Florida is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles live together in the wild. (source)
• In an April 29, 2026 news release, FWC repeats it: Florida is the only place in the world where both live in the wild. (source)
• Everglades National Park says south Florida is the only place where both U.S. native crocodilians live side by side. (source)
• The Park Service counts 23 crocodilian species worldwide, and 2 of them are native to the United States. (source)
• Everglades National Park calls itself the only place in the world where you might see a gator and a croc in the same body of water, perhaps at Paurotis or Nine Mile Pond. (source)
• FWC also notes Florida is the only place in the United States where people can see American crocodiles in the wild. (source)

Range in Florida

• In Florida, American crocodiles live in south Florida and the Keys. (source)
• South Florida is the northern edge of the crocodile's range. (source)
• Their northernmost range takes in the coastal mangroves of extreme South Florida, including most of Florida Bay. (source)
• A UF and FWC pamphlet says crocodiles are found continuously from southern Biscayne Bay to Cape Sable in Everglades National Park. (source)
• The same pamphlet says the first crocodile sighting by early settlers was in Biscayne Bay in the late 1800s. (source)
• Historically, crocodiles were seen from Key West north to Lake Worth on the Atlantic coast, and up to Naples and Sanibel Island on the Gulf Coast. (source)
• Most of Florida's crocodiles still live along the coast of South Florida. (source)

How far north they have been seen

• A 2022 federal review says crocodiles have been seen as far north as Tampa Bay on the west coast and Brevard County on the east coast. (source)
• Sightings in Brevard County included Satellite Beach and Melbourne Beach. (source)
• Southwest coast sightings are becoming more common, reaching as far north as Sanibel Island in Lee County. (source)
• Crocodiles are being seen more and more often in many of the lower Keys. (source)
• The federal review was published in September 2022. (source)
• For about 14 years a single male crocodile lived at Dry Tortugas National Park, the only one recorded there in at least a century. (source)

Turkey Point cooling canals

• Federal officials say crocodile nesting is now common at the Turkey Point Power Plant on Biscayne Bay. (source)
• Turkey Point's cooling canals were built in 1974 and give crocodiles good habitat in Biscayne Bay. (source)
• The Turkey Point site covers about 3,000 acres, most of it crocodile habitat. (source)
• The cooling canals created nesting habitat where none had existed before. (source)

Habitat

• Crocodiles live in brackish or salt water, in ponds, coves and creeks in mangrove swamps. (source)
• They sometimes turn up inland in fresh water along the southeast coast because of the large canal system. (source)
• Their favorite spots have deeper water, low wave action and in-between salinity. (source)
• Alligators mainly live in fresh water, while crocodiles live in salt or brackish water. (source)
• Crocodile Lake NWR's namesake crocodile lives and nests in the refuge's saltwater mangroves. (source)

World range

• Outside Florida, American crocodiles live in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. (source)
• They are found in Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, along the Caribbean coast from southern Mexico to Venezuela, and along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Peru. (source)
• The Park Service describes the range as reaching south to Ecuador on the Pacific coast and Venezuela on the Atlantic coast. (source)

Sources differ: Pacific range end: FWC species profile (myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/american-crocodile/, references from 2011) says 'Mexico to Peru'; NPS Everglades profile (updated Sept 7, 2023) and the older UF/IFAS paper (2003) say 'south to Ecuador'. NPS page is the newer dated page.

Snout shape and the telltale tooth

• A crocodile has a narrow, tapered snout. (source)
• An alligator has a broad, rounded snout. (source)
• Alligators have a rounded, U-shaped snout. (source)
• Seen from above, a crocodile's snout narrows forward from the eyes, while an alligator's stays wide and rounded at the tip. (source)
• On a crocodile, the fourth tooth of the lower jaw shows even when its mouth is shut. (source)
• On an alligator, only the upper teeth show when its mouth is closed. (source)
• That lower fourth tooth is visible on both sides of a crocodile's jaw. (source)
• With the mouth closed, the tooth is exposed on a crocodile but hidden on an alligator. (source)

Color, then and now

• Crocodiles are a grayish-green color. (source)
• Adult crocodiles have grayish-green backs and tails with white to yellowish bellies. (source)
• FWC describes alligators as black. (source)
• Adult alligator color varies with habitat, from olive or brown to gray or nearly black, with a creamy underside. (source)
• Young crocodiles are light with dark stripes. (source)
• Young alligators are dark with yellow stripes. (source)

Salt water vs. fresh water

• Crocodiles live in brackish or salt water, in ponds, coves and creeks of mangrove swamps. (source)
• Florida's crocodiles are at the northern end of their range, in south Florida and the Keys. (source)
• Canals sometimes bring crocodiles inland into fresh water along the southeast Florida coast. (source)
• Alligators are typically found in freshwater habitats. (source)
• Alligators live in all 67 Florida counties. (source)
• Alligators can turn up in brackish water near mangroves, though they lack the salt glands crocodiles have. (source)

Size

• Male crocodiles are larger than females; NPS says they can reach about 20 feet but rarely top 14 feet in the wild. (source)
• Breeding female crocodiles are about 8 to 12 feet long. (source)
• An older UF IFAS fact sheet hosted by FWC puts Florida males at about 15 feet, rarely over 14 feet. (source)
• Adult male alligators occasionally reach 13 to 15 feet. (source)
• Female alligators top out around 10 feet. (source)

Sources differ: Maximum male crocodile length: NPS Everglades species profile last updated September 7, 2023) says 'about 20 feet'; UF IFAS WEC 38 hosted by FWC revised May 2003) says 'about 15 feet (4.6 m)' in Florida. Both agree males rarely exceed 14 feet. NPS is newer. FWS profile says adults 'may grow to 4.5 meters or larger'.

Temperament and a third lookalike

• FWC calls American crocodiles a shy and reclusive species. (source)
• NPS says conflict with people rarely occurs because American crocodiles are shy. (source)
• A UF and FWS crocodile pamphlet hosted by FWC sums crocodiles up as rare and shy, with conflicts rarely occurring. (source)
• A crocodile sunning with its mouth open (gaping) is cooling off, not acting aggressively. (source)
• A crocodile that splashes noisily into the water is frightened. (source)
• The nonnative spectacled caiman looks more like a crocodile than an alligator. (source)
• Caiman live mostly in freshwater canals and lakes and rarely exceed 5 feet. (source)

Give them space

• Keep a safe distance if you see a crocodile. (source)
• In Everglades National Park, stay at least 15 feet from alligators and crocodiles. (source)
• If the animal is hissing, you are too close, even beyond 15 feet. (source)
• They may look like statues, but they are alert and can react lightning fast. (source)
• If you come across a crocodile, do not approach it. (source)
• It is against the law to try to move or touch a crocodile. (source)
• In Everglades National Park, feeding or harassing an animal, including throwing things at it, is a criminal offense with a fine. (source)
• NPS counts any action that changes an animal's natural behavior as harassment. (source)

Pets, kids and swimming

• Keep pets on a leash and small children back from the water's edge, especially at night. (source)
• Pets often look like a crocodile's natural prey. (source)
• NPS warns alligators and crocodiles may see small dogs as prey. (source)
• Swim only in designated areas, during daylight, and without your pet. (source)
• Crocodiles are most active between dusk and dawn. (source)
• Put fish scraps in garbage bins rather than leaving them by the water. (source)

Never feed a crocodile

• Feeding a crocodile is both illegal and dangerous. (source)
• Fed crocodiles can lose their natural wariness of people and link people with food. (source)
• Indirect feeding counts too, such as feeding other wildlife or tossing fish scraps. (source)
• Crocodiles cannot tell where the handout ends and the hand begins. (source)
• NPS says alligators and crocodiles fed by people start associating people with food and can become aggressive. (source)

If a crocodile is near your home, pool or dock

• Conflicts between crocodiles and people are extremely rare in Florida. (source)
• Crocodile sightings have increased in recent years, for several reasons, including the recovering population. (source)
• If you're concerned about a crocodile, call 866-392-4286 (866-FWC-GATOR) and an FWC crocodile response agent will respond. (source)
• FWC says it will work with you to resolve the situation. (source)
• Complaints about problem crocodiles are growing as crocodiles and people share more of the same areas. (source)

Feeding is against Florida law

• Florida rule 68A-25.001 bars anyone from intentionally feeding, or enticing with feed, any crocodilian. (source)
• A first feeding violation is a noncriminal infraction with a $100 civil penalty. (source)
• A second violation involving alligators or other crocodilians is a second-degree misdemeanor. (source)
• A third such violation is a first-degree misdemeanor. (source)
• A fourth or later violation is a third-degree felony. (source)
• FWC's crocodile sign reads: do not feed or harass crocodiles; it is dangerous and illegal. (source)

State and federal protection

• Florida's endangered and threatened species rule lists the American crocodile as threatened (T). (source)
• Under that rule, no one may take, possess or sell a listed species, its nests or eggs, without a permit. (source)
• The crocodile is protected as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. (source)
• Under the ESA, to 'take' an animal includes to harass, harm, pursue, capture or kill it, or try to. (source)
• Florida law bars intentionally killing or wounding a species FWC lists as threatened, or destroying its eggs or nest. (source)
• That is a Level Four violation, which is a third-degree felony. (source)
• Alligators are federally listed as threatened only because they look so much like the threatened crocodile. (source)

How to report: crocodiles vs. nuisance alligators

• For a crocodile, FWC sends one of its crocodile response agents. (source)
• For a nuisance alligator, FWC dispatches a contracted nuisance alligator trapper. (source)
• An alligator is generally considered a nuisance if it is at least 4 feet long and seen as a threat to people, pets or property. (source)
• Both go through the same toll-free line, 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). (source)
• If you see someone feeding a crocodile, call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922); you can stay anonymous. (source)
• You can also dial #FWC from a cell phone. (source)
• Reporting feeding or enticement of alligators or crocodiles falls in Wildlife Alert's $300 reward level. (source)
• Tips that lead to an arrest or citation may earn a reward of up to $1,000. (source)

Size and appearance

• Adults have grayish-green backs and tails and white to yellowish bellies. (source)
• FWC describes them as a brownish-gray, generally paler than alligators. (source)
• Young crocodiles are light with dark stripes. (source)
• Hatchlings are about 23 centimeters (about 9 inches) long; adults may reach 4.5 meters (about 15 feet) or more. (source)
• NPS says males can reach about 20 feet but rarely top 14 feet in the wild; breeding females are about 8 to 12 feet. (source)
• A UF paper says Florida males can reach about 15 feet but rarely exceed 14 feet. (source)

Sources differ: Maximum size: NPS Everglades species profile (updated Sept 7, 2023) says males 'can reach about 20 feet'; UF/IFAS WEC 38 (2003, hosted by FWC) says 'In Florida, males can reach about 15 feet'; USFWS species page says adults 'may grow to 4.5 meters or larger'; older NPS FAQ (2015) says 'maximum size around 13''. All agree they rarely exceed 14 feet. NPS 2023 is newest.

Nesting, eggs and hatchlings

• Males begin courting females in late January and early February. (source)
• Nesting happens in late April and early May. (source)
• Females lay 20 to 60 eggs that incubate about 85 days. (source)
• Eggs hatch in late July or early August. (source)
• Hatchlings call to their mother from inside the eggs so she will dig up the nest. (source)
• Nest temperature sets the sex: 88 to 91 degrees F yields mostly males, below 88 mostly females. (source)
• Eggs cannot survive more than 12 hours of flooding. (source)
• Raccoons, birds and crabs prey on hatchlings, which have a high death rate. (source)

Diet and lifespan

• FWC says they mostly eat small mammals, birds, frogs, turtles and fish. (source)
• Hatchlings and young crocodiles eat small fish, snails, crustaceans and insects. (source)
• Adults feed mostly at night on fish, crabs, turtles, snakes and small mammals. (source)
• Crocodiles typically live 50 to 70 years in the wild. (source)
• Adults have no natural predators other than humans. (source)

Shy nature, basking and cold

• FWC calls the American crocodile a shy and reclusive species. (source)
• A crocodile splashing noisily into the water is frightened, not aggressive. (source)
• Lying with the mouth open, called gaping, helps control body temperature and is not aggression. (source)
• Crocodiles are most active between dusk and dawn. (source)
• Crocodiles cannot tolerate cold, and cold winters long kept them from spreading farther north. (source)
• More frequent cold snaps that kill crocodiles are listed as a climate threat. (source)
• Conflicts between crocodiles and people are extremely rare in Florida. (source)

Protection timeline

• Florida listed the crocodile as protected in 1967. (source)
• Florida raised that to endangered in 1972. (source)
• The crocodile was listed as federally endangered on September 25, 1975. (source)
• The federal government moved Florida's crocodiles from endangered to threatened on March 20, 2007. (source)
• The 2007 rule took effect April 19, 2007. (source)
• Crocodiles elsewhere in the species' range stayed listed as endangered. (source)
• Critical habitat was set by a final rule on September 24, 1976. (source)

Current legal status

• Today the crocodile is federally threatened and, in Florida, a Federally-designated Threatened species. (source)
• The state natural heritage ranking calls it critically imperiled in Florida. (source)
• Worldwide, IUCN lists it as Vulnerable. (source)
• Everglades National Park lists the American crocodile as federally threatened. (source)

Sources differ: State status: FWC species profile (current) says 'FL Status: Federally-designated Threatened'. Biscayne NP threatened and endangered table (nps.gov/bisc/learn/nature/threatened-and-endangered-animals.htm, updated July 9, 2020) still shows State Classification 'Endangered' (phrase: 'American crocodile Occasional Threatened Endangered'). FWC is the state agency and is the authority; use 'threatened'.

Population then and now

• In 1975, Florida had only 10 to 20 nests a year and fewer than 300 crocodiles. (source)
• FWC now estimates 1,500 to 2,000 crocodiles in Florida, not counting hatchlings, with more than 100 nests a year. (source)
• FWC's 2025 release puts it at about 2,000 nonhatchling crocodiles today. (source)
• In 2007 federal officials estimated 1,400 to 2,000 crocodiles, not counting hatchlings. (source)
• The 2022 federal review estimates 698 to 3,150 non-hatchling crocodiles based on 2018 to 2021 nesting data. (source)
• Nesting rose from 11 nests in 1977 to 189 nests in 2021. (source)
• About 60 to 70 percent of nests are in the Flamingo and Cape Sable area of Everglades National Park. (source)

Sources differ: Population estimates differ: FWC status page 'between 1,500 and 2,000 ... not including hatchlings' (undated); FWC news release 3/10/2025 'about 2,000 nonhatchling crocodiles'; FWC Living with Crocodiles brochure (1/2025) 'as many as 2,000 adult crocodiles'; Federal Register 2007 '1,400 to 2,000'; USFWS 5-year review (Sept 2022) '698 to 3,150 non-hatchling individuals'. Old UF/IFAS paper (2003) said 'perhaps only 400 to 500 individuals' (outdated). Newest is the FWC 2025 release (~2,000).

Why they declined and recovered

• Crocodile hides were worth a lot between 1930 and 1960, and heavy hunting hurt the population. (source)
• Human growth and coastal development pushed numbers even lower. (source)
• Federal officials said the Florida population more than doubled after 1975 and spread out. (source)
• Buying land protected many important nesting areas. (source)
• Man-made habitat, especially nesting sites near natural areas, helped recovery. (source)
• NPS says restoring fresh water flow to Florida Bay is expected to increase crocodile numbers. (source)
• Everglades National Park crocodiles have been monitored since 1978. (source)

Everglades National Park and Flamingo

• FWC lists Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park and Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge as places to observe crocodiles. (source)
• At Flamingo Marina, NPS suggests watching the water from the dock for manatees, tarpon and crocodiles. (source)
• The Flamingo Marina store is open 7 am to 7 pm daily from November 1 to April 30. (source)
• Park staff suggest Paurotis Pond or Nine Mile Pond as spots where gators and crocs might share the water. (source)
• Everglades staff advise staying back 20 feet and never feeding or touching wildlife. (source)
• Everglades National Park's general phone is 305 242-7700. (source)

Biscayne National Park

• Biscayne National Park lists the American crocodile among reptiles documented in the park. (source)
• The park rates the crocodile's occurrence as occasional. (source)
• Crocodile attacks in Biscayne are uncommon, but visitors in the water are entering their home. (source)
• Crocodiles typically stay near mangrove stands and sandy embankments. (source)
• Bait scents, fresh catches and splashing can attract crocodiles, so spearfishers and snorkelers should be alert. (source)

Crocodile Lake NWR

• Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge on Key Largo was set up in 1980. (source)
• The refuge is not open to the public. (source)
• A community butterfly garden and kiosk area is open during daylight hours. (source)
• Special events, such as guided walks, mostly take place in winter. (source)
• The refuge phone is (305) 451-4223, at 10750 County Road 905, Key Largo. (source)
• To find it, take CR 905 north about 1.8 miles from US 1 in Key Largo. (source)

Florida State Parks

• At Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne, the American crocodile regularly takes refuge. (source)
• At Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, crocodiles live in mangrove-lined waterways to the south. (source)