Intoducing Nile or Saltwater Crocs into Gator Country

[Lord MJ]

Imagine someone got the bright idea to introduce Nile or Saltwater Crocodiles into the areas in the US that Alligators inhabit.

For those that don't know, Alligators are generally non threatening to humans except in rare circumstances or if someone is stupid enough to harass them or someone was stupid enough to feed them earlier.

Nile and Saltwater Crocodiles however will easily snatch and devour a human without much hesitation.

1. Would the Crocs be able to survive and thrive in the environment?

2. Assuming that they can survive in the environment how would they impact the native Alligator and Crocodile population. Would they drive the Alligators out or would they be unable to compete with the gators. Would Alligators be on the crocs menu?

3. What would be the larger environmental impacts?

4. How would it effect human life in the area.

5. Just how much trouble would anyone that would introduce the crocs to the US be in?

[Ritterin Sophia]

1. Would the Crocs be able to survive and thrive in the environment?

No, the Salties and Niles would move farther down south into American Crocodile country.

2. Assuming that they can survive in the environment how would they impact the native Alligator and Crocodile population. Would they drive the Alligators out or would they be unable to compete with the gators. Would Alligators be on the crocs menu?

They'd probably use the smaller crocodilians as a food source, however Summer and Winter are going to be a bitch since they're going to need more water in the summer and the water is going to be much colder than what they're used to.

3. What would be the larger environmental impacts?

Only one I know of is a decrease in American Alligator and Crocodile (Vulnerable Species) populations, as well as a loss of turtles who would otherwise not be harmed by the alligators. Probably a danger to Key Dear (Endangered), West Indian Manatee (Vulnerable), maybe Florida Panthers (Endangered) going for a drink, that's only from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service List of Endangered Animals, and doesn't included reptile and fish.

4. How would it effect human life in the area.

After exceeding a certain size an alligator will be hunted down, so an increase in Croc hunts, especially if the Salties and Niles are less predictable around humans than gators.

5. Just how much trouble would anyone that would introduce the crocs to the US be in?

A ton, the US only has a population of ~2,000 American Crocs and these are a serious threat to their well being. Though someone better than I could probably expand upon this.

[Lord MJ]

1. Would the Crocs be able to survive and thrive in the environment?

No, the Salties and Niles would move farther down south into American Crocodile country.

So the Florida swamps would be inhospitable to them then?

4. How would it effect human life in the area.

After exceeding a certain size an alligator will be hunted down, so an increase in Croc hunts, especially if the Salties and Niles are less predictable around humans than gators.

[/quote]

I would imagine that "Alligator" attacks will become more common as the Niles and Salties will actively attack humans for food. Provided that they build a sustainable population I think it would alter the way of life of people living in gator country as now there are a population of very dangerous crocs that consider humans part of the dinner menu. I would imagine in even ONE Nile or Saltwater croc was released into the wild in Florida, people would be going APESHIT!

5. Just how much trouble would anyone that would introduce the crocs to the US be in?

A ton, the US only has a population of ~2,000 American Crocs and these are a serious threat to their well being. Though someone better than I could probably expand upon this.

[/quote]

I was also thinking about what the consequences would be if the Niles or Salties decided to chow down on some tasty humans. Depending on the intent of the person (say "I think it would be cool to introduce Nile and Saltwater crocs into gator country because they would chow down on humans") I could see the Death Penalty being imposed.

[Sea Skimmer]

Saltwater and Nile crocs go out of their way to attack and eat humans, unlike the crocs and gators already found in Florida. If someone introduced them, the result would be thousands of hunters going out and slaughtering every last one that can be found. The existing Florida croc population would probably be driven to extinction in the process owing to confusion over which type to shoot.

No one's going to get the death penalty for a croc killing someone, unless they specifically fed that person to the croc. They’d just get prosecuted for animal smuggling or something like that by the Fish and Wildlife service.

[The_Saint]

Saltwater crocodiles ala the ones found in Australia won't "go out of their way" to munch on the odd human. Saying that if a human is in the water or on a bank close by then they're easily within the food pyramid. Like most wild animals the greatest risk comes from provoking them, the scariest thing to find in Northern Australia is to come across a nest mound without the mother in sight... thats when you start looking for the handiest tree.

Back to the topic though... if someone was to hypothetically introduce a breeding population of Saltwater crocodiles or Nile crocodiles into Forida you can kiss a lot of the current species goodbye.

[Ritterin Sophia]

So the Florida swamps would be inhospitable to them then?

Didn't say inhospitable, but if they have the ability to move closer to the ocean where it's saltier, that's what they're going to do.

I would imagine that "Alligator" attacks will become more common as the Niles and Salties will actively attack humans for food. Provided that they build a sustainable population I think it would alter the way of life of people living in gator country as now there are a population of very dangerous crocs that consider humans part of the dinner menu. I would imagine in even ONE Nile or Saltwater croc was released into the wild in Florida, people would be going APESHIT!

Probably, but then, many of the inhabitants can tell a Gator from a Croc and both of those species IIRC are substantially larger than the American Croc. It'll probably get reported to the DNR before it gets a chance to hurt someone.

I was also thinking about what the consequences would be if the Niles or Salties decided to chow down on some tasty humans. Depending on the intent of the person (say "I think it would be cool to introduce Nile and Saltwater crocs into gator country because they would chow down on humans") I could see the Death Penalty being imposed.

They're certainly more dangerous than Gators, but like I said, both of those species are larger than their native cousin, so someone's going to know somethings fishy before someone gets hurt.

@The_Saint: I seriously doubt the Salties or Niles could kill off the native species before Winter knocks them for a loop.

[The_Saint]

@The_Saint: I seriously doubt the Salties or Niles could kill off the native species before Winter knocks them for a loop.

True, though adult salties do have healthy apetities and if as you previously stated there are substantial amounts of endagered species in the area, without anything 'higher in the food chain' (except humans) then there's plenty of havok to be wrecked.

My answer to answer the op would be:

1. Most likely... I suspect for around 3/4 of the year the habitat would be very similar during the height of summer when waterways shrink and the depth of winter would see the greatest problems.

2. I'll answer this back to front.
Yes alligators would end up on the menu... they're a decent size food source that is comparitively smaller and weaker and hence lower on the food chain. I doubt they'd drive the alligators out though. Off the top of my head I'm guessing that there's hundreds if not thousands of alligators all over the Florida everglades areas. Now either the hypothetical croc-nappers are moving few crocs (1 to say 20) in which case they'd have only a localised impact on the alligator population. Or there'd be many crocs (50 to 100+) in which case I'm guessing that they'd eat enough of the larger wildlife population for someone to notice something wasn't right. Deplete the food source = chain reaction as everything has problems starving and moving further afield in search for more.

3. Either a massive immediate change in the entire ecosystem as the food chain gets pushed down a step or little immediate (due to few crocs) change but there'd stil lbe a long term impact... and at the very least some puzzled wildlife officials wondering what a wayward crocodile is playing tourist for.

4. Initially nothing, using the theory that most locals take minimal care (compared to say Northern Australia) around alligators (as opposed to their international cousins) then it owuld be only time before someone got attacked... following that there'd be a typically short media blitz.."Monster alligator attacks human!" someone would find another, someone would recognise them initially for what they're not, finally be identified and then sometime in the murky future a study done to find out how many proto-handbag tourists are out there.

5. Trouble... no none at all... causing ecological problems doesn't carry a penalty at all [/sarcasm]. Frankly I have no idea about quarantine and transportation of dangerous wildlife laws in the USA. Though I do wonder what kind of stupidity the lunatic that would try capturing, transporting and releasing a breeding population's worth of 'salties' or 'Niles' halfway around the world would need.

[Ritterin Sophia]

I doubt they'd drive the alligators out though. Off the top of my head I'm guessing that there's hundreds if not thousands of alligators all over the Florida everglades areas.

They're G5, that means at least ten thousand.

[Lord MJ]

A very similar situation to this actually exists in the real world. In Florida Burmese Pythons released into the wild by pet owners that abandoned them after they got too big.

Not only are they competing with the gators for food, they also have ran into each other on occasions.

However Nile or Saltwater crocs would be a bigger disruption due to the fact they are dangerous to humans (while Pythons can kill humans also, their ability to attack is significantly less), and the fact that alligators would be on the dinner menu.

Regarding my view on the death penalty, I could imagine a state DA charging the person that released the crocs with murder or manslaughter if they killed people. May not bring on the death penalty, but I could imagine homicide charges.