Account of Inland Dispersal of an American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and First Record in Hendry County, Florida

Sergio C. Gonzalez^1,*, Alfonso Tigertail², Paul N. Backhouse³, and Craig van der Heiden⁴

¹Department of Conservation, Environmental Protection Office, Seminole Tribe of Florida. 6363 Taft Street, Hollywood, FL 33024. ²Water Resources Department, Environmental Protection Office, Seminole Tribe of Florida. 31004 Josie Billie Highway; Clewiston, FL 33440. ³Environmental Protection Office, Seminole Tribe of Florida, 29980 Gator Tail Trail, Clewiston, FL 33440. ⁴Department of Conservation, Environmental Protection Office, Seminole Tribe of Florida. 29980 Gator Tail Trail, Clewiston, FL 33440. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 24, Issue 3 (2025): N38–N42

First published early online: 8 September 2025

Abstract
Crocodylus acutus (American Crocodile) in the United States primarily occupies coastal environments in southern peninsular Florida. While the species is capable of long-distance dispersal and shorter seasonal movements, penetration of interior freshwater systems has rarely been documented. This account describes a record distance dispersal event inland by an American Crocodile in Florida and documents the first occurrence in Hendry County and the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, FL. The dispersal distance was corroborated by discerning a scute-clip pattern matching mark–recapture records at the University of Florida Croc Docs Lab and identifying the individual’s hatching location. The individual was observed in an agricultural canal system for several weeks until staff were unable to locate it.

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