You didn't hear much about the Florida American crocs because they're a somewhat innocuous species. No reported attack on humans ever, since record keeping began. They're actually doing pretty well considering that 20 years ago they were critically endangered. We have an estimated 1500 to 2500 of them now and they've been found as far north as W. Palm Beach on the East Coast and Tampa on the West Coast. There's even a lonesome guy that migrated to Ft. Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas and lives in the moat there; that's a nice swim of 60+ miles off Key West. Why the big increase in numbers? Florida Power and Light built a nuclear power plant on Biscayne Bay south of Miami, along with miles of cooling water canals which proved to be an ideal nesting habitat. Now we have "spare" crocs all over the Keys and especially in Everglades Nat. Park which was the primary habitat for them until they were killed off by hide hunters. Some of our "Yankee Invaders" are having fits because it seems crocs are especially fond of small dogs and the crocs have the ability to propel themselves out of the water high enough to snatch a tasty little mutt off a seawall!
