An American crocodile was spotted for the first time ever in northeast St. Petersburg, Florida, over the weekend, according to local media reports.
The 9-foot-long specimen came as a surprise to local residents, who say they don’t see crocodiles that far north, reported The Tampa Tribune. Crocodiles normally dwell around 300 miles south in and around the Florida Keys.
The local who discovered the crocodile, Shondra Farner, called a wildlife official to report her finding but it was met with incredulity.
"He said, ‘No, ma’am, you have an alligator,’ and I said, ‘No, I know the difference,’" she told The Associated Press.
Alligators are a common sight throughout Florida, but crocodiles are considered much rarer.
Lindsey Hord, a local Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told the Tribune that the sighting “is a first” and said authorities will try to relocate it somewhere else. “We hope it stays away, but if it comes back, we’ll deal with it,” she added.
Hord told the newspaper that crocodiles are much more common in Central and South America, but live in rivers, ponds, and lakes in southern Florida.
