Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

[Sollomyn]

So I just found out that there are crocodiles in Florida and throughout the Caribbean, and I'm a little weirded out, because I would have SWORN that the only places I thought Crocodiles were Native to were Australia, Africa, and maybe India. As far as I know, I was always told and taught that we only have alligators in America; no crocodiles.

But apparently there's a species called the American Crocodile.

....Have I accidentally slipped into another alternate reality again????

I know that it's pointless to ask, because if I have slipped into a parallel universe, you all would probably see American Crocs as common, everyday knowledge. To me though it's just really, really weird hahaha, and I must seem like either a complete loon, or total retard for not being aware of crocodiles in America, because for me, it's always been common knowledge that there AREN'T crocodiles in America hahaha! (Time travel, alternate realities, and interdimensional travel can be kinda funny like that. )

...Anyone else seem to remember there not being any crocodiles in America? And now there are all of a sudden?

...Or is it just me?

I swear; it feels like one of those Mandela Effect things. Happens to me way too often, (if they even have Mandela Effects in this particular universe; that could just be unique to whatever universe I slipped in from, if I slipped at all!) :XD laugh:


--Sollomyn

[Rae'ya]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

There's always been crocodilians in the Americas... but I'll admit that I only learned that included North America when I saw a TV show about a crocodile sanctuary in Florida. Perhaps it's not common knowledge because it's only a very small part of North America?

Technically, the Americas (primarily Middle and South America) has more species of crocodilians than Australia. We are most famous for our enormous Saltwater Crocs, but we only have two species of croc in Australia (the Saltwater and the smaller Freshwater croc). That's only two of a whole long list of croc species. And they are only in the northern states, not the entire country. So it's funny how 'general knowledge' is skewed by exposure, perception and context.

[Sollomyn]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

There's always been crocodilians in the Americas... but I'll admit that I only learned that included North America when I saw a TV show about a crocodile sanctuary in Florida. Perhaps it's not common knowledge because it's only a very small part of North America?

Technically, the Americas (primarily Middle and South America) has more species of crocodilians than Australia. We are most famous for our enormous Saltwater Crocs, but we only have two species of croc in Australia (the Saltwater and the smaller Freshwater croc). That's only two of a whole long list of croc species. And they are only in the northern states, not the entire country. So it's funny how 'general knowledge' is skewed by exposure, perception and context.

Ah! That's a relief to hear; I'm secretly afraid sometimes that I might be losing my mind; seen so many weird things that it's hard to know what's "real" sometimes; normalcy has pretty much been degraded to almost nothing in my mind; nothing would really surprise me at this point haha.

Mom's been gone all day, but just came home about a half hour ago; first thing I asked about was American Crocodiles to see if she knew about them, and it turned out she had no clue they were in North America either, so that was a relief to hear; I'm pretty sure that if/when I slip into an alternate reality I can't transport people from one reality to the next...as far as I know anyway haha, but again, I wouldn't really be all that shocked. It can be really hard to tell sometimes because all the realities are so similar, with only minor changes, such as the colors of objects or various scars or body art that's slightly different.

Very rarely is there ever a super mega change in the timeline; the only time something major has changed was a few years after my best friend went missing; I bumped into another friend at the library years later and we had a mutual friend in Martin and somehow got to talking about him, only I started realizing my friend wasn't referring to him in the past tense, and reminded him that he was dead, (his friends car was found crashed and abandonned near the Tanana river near the bluffs; no body found, but all the evidence points to him being dragged away by the raging torrent). He insisted that he was alive and well though; that he never went missing and his car never crashed; I insisted he was wrong, getting kind of angry. Then he showed videos of him and Martin and said he'd be happy to take me to him, so I went with him in his truck to go see him, if nothing else to prove that it wasn't really Martin, but after seeinghim in person again, it was definitely him; he didn't remember anything about ever disappearing or dying or crashing his car or the memorial service or weeks-long search parties; none of it had ever happened.

Then a few years later he went back to being dead and everything was the way it was before; my friend hadn't seen him in years ever since he went missing.

Fortunately that's the only time anything like that's happened to me, and I'm kinda terrified of the possible side-effects of whatever's going on with either my brain or the space-time continuum.

Glad to see American Crocodiles aren't another major shift in the timeline hahaha; huge relief. I can deal with duplicating milk jugs and little teeny tiny changes; I've come to expect and slightly enjoy those weird little moments, but the big stuff still kind of freaks me out. :sick:

[thalassa]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

Coastal southern Florida is the northern-most range of Crocodylus acutus, the American crocodile. They prefer salt/brackish water and are less in number and harder to spot than alligators. Plus most people can't tell the difference between them. We live a bit north of their range, so we just have gators, but we have seen them kayaking in south Florida.

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

Aren't crocodiles and alligators the same thing?

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

Aren't crocodiles and alligators the same thing?

No, although they should both be avoided In general the easiest way to tell them apart by looking at them is that the croc has a narrower, pointier snout. Crocs live more in salt water & gators in fresh.

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

No, although they should both be avoided In general the easiest way to tell them apart by looking at them is that the croc has a narrower, pointier snout. Crocs live more in salt water & gators in fresh.

Ok. Thank you for telling me this information.

[Sollomyn]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

Coastal southern Florida is the northern-most range of Crocodylus acutus, the American crocodile. They prefer salt/brackish water and are less in number and harder to spot than alligators. Plus most people can't tell the difference between them. We live a bit north of their range, so we just have gators, but we have seen them kayaking in south Florida.

That explains it!

Glad I didn't find out about American crocs that way haha, (kayaking), that would have been super weird for me to see. I found out on the show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" with Jeff Foxworthy. The question was "True or False: Some species of crocodile are native to North America." I instantly shouted out "FALSE" giggling to myself at the seeming absurdity of the question. The contestant also said "False." My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when Jeff declared that the contestent was wrong and that the answer was True.

Mind...blown. :XD:

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

Since this is a LOLs thread. I've play Croc the video game back when I was a kid.

[Sollomyn]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

Since this is a LOLs thread. I've play Croc the video game back when I was a kid.

Nice; never heard of it.

In general the easiest way to tell them apart by looking at them is that the croc has a narrower, pointier snout.

I think crocodiles also have teeth that overlap their gums when their mouth is closed, (or what look like gums anyway), while an alligator's teeth are completely concealed from view when their mouths are closed. I think crocodiles are generally larger, too.

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

Nice; never heard of it.



I think crocodiles also have teeth that overlap their gums when their mouth is closed, (or what look like gums anyway), while an alligator's teeth are completely concealed from view when their mouths are closed. I think crocodiles are generally larger, too.

It's an old Playstation game from the late 90s.

[Sollomyn]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

It's an old Playstation game from the late 90s.

Cool! I only had the opportunity to play the original Playstation console a couple of times; I always played a game centered around green plastic army men; I forget what it was called; probably "Army Men" haha.

Using the flamethrower on enemy plastic army men was hilarious; just leaves a little plastic puddle on the ground where they once stood, mwahaha. :XD:

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

Cool! I only had the opportunity to play the original Playstation console a couple of times; I always played a game centered around green plastic army men; I forget what it was called; probably "Army Men" haha.

Using the flamethrower on enemy plastic army men was hilarious; just leaves a little plastic puddle on the ground where they once stood, mwahaha. :XD:

You're right. It called Army Men although I never play that game before.

[Sollomyn]

Re: Since When Are There Crocodiles in North America?!

You're right. It called Army Men although I never play that game before.

Coolness; compared to modern games it doesn't really compare haha. Might be fun to play agin someday though just for the nostalgia; maybe find one on ebay.