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 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? So, if you're looking to get up close and personal with a crocodile in Florida, you can do it at our place now!
