Moment 14-foot ‘Croczilla’ — largest crocodile in Florida’s Everglades — bares its teeth
An iconic Florida crocodile dubbed “Croczilla” for its impressive 14-foot length — possibly the largest in the state — has been caught on video baring its razor-sharp chompers.
Footage recorded by wildlife photographer Kym Clark showed the reclusive scaly celebrity basking in the sun next to a pond and opening its gaping maw.
“What a lucky day,” Clark can be heard exclaiming in the background, while keeping her camera trained on the gargantuan reptile.
It was Clark’s second encounter in a year with what she described as the “largest wild American Crocodile reported in Everglades National Park,” and potentially in the entire state of Florida.
Measuring at a whopping 14 feet, “Croczilla” is the biggest member of its species ever recorded in the wild.
“Croczilla was quite possibly just as happy to see me as I was to see him!” Clark gushed in an Instagram post Tuesday. “We only met one other time, but it was definitely love at first sight.”
“This massive American Crocodile is absolutely the king of the Everglades,” she added.
Clark’s first sighting of the prehistoric-looking creature took place in April.
“This Croc has been on my herping (reptile hunting) bucket list for awhile [sic] now,” she wrote at the time in a caption accompanying a video that showed “Croczilla” unhinging its powerful jaws to reveal dozens of teeth. “So excited to have finally met him!!!”
Clark noted that “the open mouth is not a sign of aggression but usually a way of regulating body temperature or a yawn.”
There are an estimated 1,000 to 2,500 crocodiles calling the Sunshine State home, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The oversized reptiles are currently classified as a “threatened” species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
