--- title: "Myth Busting: Lake Placid and Alligators" description: The film, Lake Placid, was based on a prehistoric super-crocodile that lived nearly 110 million years ago. Wild Florida clears up this myth for you. image: https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hs-fs/file-2691325211-jpg/blog-files/lakeplacid-213x300.jpg --- orlando's only airboat, gator & drive-thru safari park ![Clock](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Wild_Florida_Airboats_October2023/images/Clock-icon-white.svg "Clock") 9AM-6PM | CLOSED ON SUNDAYS ![Tickets](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Wild_Florida_Airboats_October2023/images/ticket-icon-white.svg "Tickets") [tickets ](https://www.wildfloridairboats.com/buy-wild-florida-tickets) ![Faq](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Wild_Florida_Airboats_October2023/images/faq-icon-white.svg "Faq") [FAQs ](https://www.wildfloridairboats.com/wild-florida-faq) ![Contact](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Wild_Florida_Airboats_October2023/images/contact-icon-white.svg "Contact") [contact ](https://www.wildfloridairboats.com/contact-us) [![WFAP-LOGO_COLOR-1](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WFAP-LOGO_COLOR-1.png?width=120&height=87&name=WFAP-LOGO_COLOR-1.png "WFAP-LOGO_COLOR-1")](https://www.wildfloridairboats.com/) ![Search Icon](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Wild_Florida_Airboats_October2023/images/search-icon.svg) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ![Close](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Wild_Florida_Airboats_October2023/images/x_icon.jpg) # Have you seen the movie Lake Placid? Let us clear up a myth for you. [ Airboat Tours](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/topic/airboat-tours) [ Posted by Wild Florida ](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/author/wild-florida) on April 24,2017 12:52:AM [![lake placid gator myth](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hs-fs/file-2691325211-jpg/blog-files/lakeplacid-213x300.jpg?width=142&height=200&name=lakeplacid-213x300.jpg "lakeplacid")](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hs-fs/file-2691325211-jpg/blog-files/lakeplacid-213x300.jpg) Have you seen the movie Lake Placid? This monster horror comedy was filmed mostly in British Columbia, Canada and is based on a prehistoric animal resembling a giant crocodile. The prehistoric creature that the film was based on is called the *sarcosuchus imperator*, or “flesh crocodile emperor”. This gigantic crocodile lived approximately 110 million years ago when rivers flowed through what is now sub-Saharan Africa. In 2000, paleontologist Paul Sereno and his team found the nearly complete remains of a *sarcosuchus imperator* in Niger. The remains that they found included vertebrae, limb bones, armor plates, jaws, and a nearly complete 6-foot skull. Paul Sereno estimates that this prehistoric crocodile weighed about ten tons. While Lake Placid may have been based on this enormous prehistoric creature, these super-crocs are not around today and you have no need to worry about a giant man-eating crocodile in your lake. And for those of you who live in the United States, you are more likely to encounter an [alligator](https://www.wildfloridairboats.com/gator-park) than a crocodile anyway because crocodiles generally live in the southern tip of South Florida. But, did you know that Wild Florida recently acquired two crocodiles who now reside in our [Gator and Wildlife Park](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/protips-for-visitors-what-to-know-about-visiting-our-gator-and-wildlife-park)? So, if you're looking to get up close and personal with a crocodile in Florida, you can do it at our place now!      [![buy tickets for Wild Florida](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/499806/ba6602b0-9b0a-4a3d-ae88-ee985ff85c79.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/499806/ba6602b0-9b0a-4a3d-ae88-ee985ff85c79) [![Wild Florida blog email](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/499806/0ec318c4-7fb7-48e1-9e1c-49b12b89aeb9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/499806/0ec318c4-7fb7-48e1-9e1c-49b12b89aeb9) [![Wild Florida RSS](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/499806/55f83a52-b885-46fa-aa4e-38b4609fea42.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/499806/55f83a52-b885-46fa-aa4e-38b4609fea42) --- --- [![Project icon](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Wild_Florida_Airboats_October2023/images/arrow-left.svg) ##### Next Post #### You think Shark Week is crazy? Here's what to expect during Gator Week! ](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/you-think-shark-week-is-crazy-heres-what-to-expect-during-gator-week) [![Project icon](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Wild_Florida_Airboats_October2023/images/arrow-right.svg) ##### Previous Post #### 15 facts your students can learn on an airboat ride in Florida ](https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/15-facts-your-students-can-learn-on-an-airboat-ride-in-florida) --- ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Wild Florida", "url" : "https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/author/wild-florida" }, "dateModified" : "2025-05-01T16:53:43.194Z", "datePublished" : "2017-04-24T04:52:39.000Z", "headline" : "Myth Busting: Lake Placid and Alligators", "image" : [ "https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hs-fs/file-2691325211-jpg/blog-files/lakeplacid-213x300.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/have-you-seen-the-movie-lake-placid-let-us-clear-up-a-myth-for-you", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.wildfloridairboats.com/hubfs/WFAP-LOGO_COLOR.png" }, "name" : "Wild Florida Airboats" } } ```