ProtectingThe American Crocodile

This paper will focus on the American crocodile. The discussion will show that the American crocodile needs to be protected. Moreover, the paper will point out some of the reasons why the American crocodile needs protecting.

The American crocodile is a unique species which differs from its foreign relatives, the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), the Australian crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni), the South American Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger), and the Indo-Pacific crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). Unfortunately, crocodiles outside of the United States are responsible for nearly 3,000 human mutilations yearly (Alderton 22). Theses deaths, coupled with the prominent position that crocodiles maintain in the folklore of many cultures and their predatory nature, have led people to believe that the American alligator is extremely dangerous. Many untruths were spread about the American alligator and crocodile by untrained field observers in the early 1880s who confused the species with the more aggressive Nile crocodile (Glasgow 23).

However, the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is actually a much tamer reptile than either the Nile or Indo-Pacific crocodile. For example, between 1941 and 1978, fewer than 10 unprovoked alligator attacks occurred in Florida, and no fatalities were recorded. In each of the Florida attacks, the alligators mistook humans for their normal prey and lost interest once their intended victim

r, with dark banding all over their bodies and tail. Their offspring are lighter in color. The species usually lives in brackish and freshwater coastal localities. American crocodiles often live in mangrove swamps in Florida, which offer a secure habitat and peat banks, where they make their nests. Adult American crocodiles are more able to survive in salt water than their hatchlings, which need access to fresh water. Crocodiles need fresh water, such as rainfall, to maintain their fluid balance (Alderton 147). Since adult crocodiles are "much less susceptible to the effects of salt water, it may be that juveniles grow very rapidly to overcome their disadvantage in that respect" (Alderton 150). Crocodiles were first hunted in North America by the Seminole Indians. The Seminoles used two thick branches, which they set in shallow waters where crocodiles gathered. The Indians placed bait in an "S"-shaped bend at the far end of the trap. Once a crocodile entered the narrow bend to take the bait, it could not back out. However, the killing of crocodiles by Indians never amounted to numbers large enough to threaten extinction. The American alligator's real problems arrived during the 19th century, when powerful firearms we

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