Crocodile found in Florida lake Trappers remove a huge 11-foot crocodile from Florida's Lake Tarpon. An 11-foot American crocodile captured last month in Lake Tarpon was born near the Turkey Point nuclear plant in South Florida in 1999 and has apparently traveled quite a bit over the past few years including stops in Naples. Morse said the crocodile probably used a combination of culverts, creeks, rivers and land to travel to Lake Tarpon, a 2,534-acre lake known for boating, bass fishing and waterfront parks. The state's top croc expert, Lindsey Hord, checked its gender (male) and took down its vital signs. Since 1975 their numbers have increased from less than 300 to more than 1,500 adults. Serving the interests of Lake Tarpon for 14 years. There two commercial fishermen accidentally caught him in their gillnet and called the Florida Fresh Water Fish and Game Commission. Lake Tarpon is a beautiful freshwater lake that covers close to 2,530 acres. Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say they haven't captured a crocodile this far north. But not this particularly single-minded crocodile. Sign in Sign up for FREE Prices and download plans Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Key Largo: Address, Phone Number, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Reviews: 3/5 United States Florida (FL) With 16 miles of shoreline, this lake has an average depth of 8 feet, with a maximum depth of 14 feet. He had big spikes sticking out of his tail. They are found in South Florida, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. WFLA's Jennifer Leigh reports. Morse said the crocodile probably used a combination of culverts, creeks, rivers and land to travel to Lake Tarpon, a 2,534-acre lake known for boating, bass fishing and waterfront parks. In fact, Lake Tarpon is rated one of […] I've had photos sent to me of snook and tarpon caught in Lake Okeechobee. How do they know this was the same crocodile? Jake the Crocodile was a wanderer. Craig Pittman can be reached at craig@tampabay.com, Environment, Growth and Development Reporter, Dontae Morris defense asks judge to toss video of police killings. Clearwater, FL 33760, Walgreens - 3770 Tampa Road Oldsmar, FL 34677, Walgreens - 7400 66th St., Pinellas Park Tampa, 33781. Lake Tarpon can be visited at Anderson Park, Chesnut … Gary Morse, a fish and wildlife spokesman, said they've been aware of the crocodile in Lake Tarpon for about a year. Lake Tarpo is a 2,534 acre freshwater lake that was dammed in 1968. TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - When Wanda Vekasi saw a long object floating in Lake Tarpon on Monday evening, she knew it wasn't an alligator. Wildlife officials say it's unusual for the the animal to have strayed so far north. She'd heard rumors of a crocodile … At that point, it measured 8-feet-4 1/4 inches long. This 2,500 acre lake provides recreation and enjoyment for thousands in the Tampa Bay area. The 11-foot-long American crocodile captured last month at Lake Tarpon is one roaming reptile. Experts estimate about 2,000 crocodiles, North America's largest reptile and an endangered species, live in Florida, a tenfold increase from the 200 or so found here in the 1970s. Its watershed encompasses 52 square miles (130 km 2) including the two largest tributaries, South Creek and Brooker Creek. "Occasionally animals will wander out of their traditional territory," he said, noting that a manatee once wound up in Massachusetts. Vekasi, who enjoys life on the lake, said the crocodile capture has given her some peace of mind. The huge crocodile found in Lake Tarpon in July apparently traveled a long way to get there. With a little sleuthing, lakefront or lake view property can be found along Lake Tarpon's shores. Serving the interests of Lake Tarpon for 14 years. The water in Lake Tarpon is also very murky, and it has been said by researchers that the Burmese Pythons in The Everglades would eventually genetically adapt and spread north. Because biologists mark the newborn crocs around Turkey Point by clipping the scutes — the armored tiles — on the tail, leaving a distinctive pattern to help identify them later, according to Gary Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. We are a full service restaurant with a historical “fish camp” theme, located directly on the beautiful and historic St. Johns river. Lake Tarpon is a 2,534-acre Fish Management Area near Tarpon Springs, in Pinellas County. Lake Tarpon is an easy commute from many Florida metropolitan areas, and real estate is always available. Then state officials trucked the critter they're now calling "the Lake Tarpon Crocodile" all the way back to the area south of Homestead, back to where its journey began nine years ago, and released it there July 29. The Tampa Bay Times reported that for a time the croc resided in the gated community of St. Petersburg’s Caya Costa and then disappeared, eventually finding a home in Lake Tarpon. In 2008, the croc - now dubbed "the Lake Tarpon Crocodile" - was spotted on the golf course at Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Morse said. Lake Tarpon is a freshwater lake located about 10 miles (16 km) west of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs, Florida. He said it's likely that the croc used culverts, creeks, rivers and land to get to the lake. The state sent a trapper to catch it. It is listed in the Bassmaster's 100 best bass lakes of 2013. July 15, 2013. None has covered nearly as many miles as this one, the Captain Cook of crocs. The crocodile was sent to a rehabilitation facility in South Florida and will likely be released back into the wild. The last large reptile to be found in the bay area was an 11-foot crocodile in Lake Tarpon. Popular activities on Lake Tarpon include fishing, water skiing, golfing and boating. Trapping the 700-pound beast in the lake took about four hours. It took a trapper crew more than four hours to capture the 11-foot American crocodile. I've had photos sent to me of bluegill and crappie caught near the St. Lucie Inlet. Lake Tarpon, the "Jewel of Pinellas County" is located about 10 miles West of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs Florida. They are found in South Florida, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. And then, about a year ago, North Pinellas residents began reporting a big gray reptile near their backyard docks on 2,534-acre Lake Tarpon. Prices and download plans . The crocodile is on the federal endangered list and officials say there are only about 2,000 in Florida. Lake Tarpon, the "Jewel of Pinellas County" is located about 10 miles West of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs Florida. "Man, after seeing that thing and how big it was," she said, "I'm just not afraid of gators anymore. Trappers Catch 11-Foot-Long Crocodile in Lake Tarpon The 700-pound American Crocodile has been loose in Lake Tarpon for a while, but was captured Monday night. 11-Foot Crocodile Found in Lake Tarpon An 11-foot crocodile found in Lake Tarpon is being released back into the wild. "I have a feeling we're going to see this one again,'' Hord told the Times then. The gator was found in Lake Blackshear on the Flint River in Georgia. The crocodile was recently found at Lake Tarpon, 10 miles west of Tampa, and wildlife officials say he traveled all the way from the Turkey Point nuclear plant in … An 11' American Crocodile was removed from Lake Tarpon late Monday night. They think it might have roamed up to the Manatee River just south of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Vacation rentals are available year-round with cottages, bed-and-breakfasts, and condos common within sight of Lake Tarpon. Sunde Farquhar , Patch Staff Morse said the crocodile probably used a combination of culverts, creeks, rivers and land to travel to Lake Tarpon, a 2,534-acre lake known for boating, bass fishing and waterfront parks. TARPON SPRINGS — When Wanda Vekasi saw a long object floating in Lake Tarpon on Monday evening, she knew it wasn't an alligator. An 11' American Crocodile was removed from Lake Tarpon late Monday night. "He had big spikes sticking out of his tail. Like all true crocodilians, the American crocodile is a quadruped, with four short, stocky legs; a long, powerful tail; and a scaly hide with rows of ossified scutes running down its back and tail. American crocodile is a highly fecund species (38 clutch of eggs; fecundity over 20 after 15 years old) with a high adult survival rate and long life span. Country club residents were not happy. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) fisheries biologists regularly sample bass during electrofishing surveys on this lake. The crocodile is on the federal endangered list and officials say there are only about 2,000 in Florida. It took Mike Amyx and his crew more than four hours but they finally pulled the 700-pound, 11-foot-long American crocodile from the water. It has been wandering for quite a while. It just looked evil," one Lake Tarpon area resident, Wanda Vekasi, told the Times last month. Welcome to the Lake Tarpon Information Center . An 11' American Crocodile was removed from Lake Tarpon late Monday night. It showed up briefly last fall on a lawn in St. Petersburg's Caya Costa, a gated community that borders Tampa Bay, then disappeared again. In 2008, the croc - now dubbed "the Lake Tarpon Crocodile" - was spotted on the golf course at Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Morse said. There two commercial fishermen accidentally caught him in their gillnet and called the Florida Fresh Water Fish and Game Commission. Lake Tarpon is known to have a HUGE alligator population, I think "Tarpie" is feeding on baby, and even larger gators. "Animals sometimes get wanderlust and that was the case here.". That time, state wildlife officials left it alone. Lake Tarpon is the largest lake in Pinellas County with a surface area of 2,500 acres (10 km 2). TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) - Wildlife experts say an 11-foot American crocodile captured in Lake Tarpon was born near the Turkey Point nuclear plant in South Florida in 1999. Welcome to the Lake Tarpon Information Center . Although the largemouth bass population and size structure is excellent, fishing pressure is relatively low. Hord released it into the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Reserve south of Naples, where it quickly swam away. State wildlife experts now say they are sure it was born in 1999 near the Turkey Point nuclear plant in Miami-Dade County, meaning it traveled some 350 miles around the southern tip of the state, cruising north through canals, maneuvering among mangrove roots and in the end setting a record for the farthest distance ever documented for a crocodile to travel in Florida. Florida is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist. Although the largemouth bass population and size structure is excellent, fishing pressure is relatively low. I've heard of crocs making it this far north. It wasn't a full-time resident there, either. "You move them, they want to come back.''. The 11-foot American Crocodile, which is on the Federal Endangered Species list, had been living in the lake and evading capture for more than a year. ", WTSP-TV / WTSP, 11450 Gandy Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33702, All [ds-station-api-metrofriendly] Coupons, Walgreens - 6560 Ulmerton Road Largo, FL 33771, Walgreens - 337 75th Ave St. Pete Beach, 33706, Walgreens - 660 S. Golfview Blvd. This 2,500 acre lake provides recreation and enjoyment for thousands in the Tampa Bay area. It just looked evil," Vekasi told the Tampa Bay Times. They demanded the big lizard be evicted, so the state dispatched a trapper who caught it. After all, he said, "Croc minds are not particularly large. "To have an American Crocodile this far north in the state is very unusual. Sure enough, a year later the croc had returned to the country club, Morse said. Trapper captures crocodile in Lake Tarpon | Bay News 9 07-12-2013, 10:21 AM Sunshinecc : Location: says MA on my license but can be found wandering the beaches of RI. In the wake of the tragedy, people are asking what risk alligators really pose. Jake the Crocodile was a wanderer. In 1957 he traveled 300 miles from the Florida Keys to Lake Tarpon in Central Florida, farther north than any other American Salt water crocodile on record. TARPON SPRINGS, Florida (AP) - When Wanda Vekasi saw a long object floating in Lake Tarpon on Monday evening, she knew it wasn't an alligator. They are found in South Florida, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. No one who saw the critter confused it with its more common cousin. On Friday, a Plantation woman who was walking her dogs was killed when she was dragged into a lake by an alligator.. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) fisheries biologists regularly sample bass during electrofishing surveys on this lake. There's no telling, Morse said. A photograph of a purported 28-foot alligator first hit the Internet in August 2005, described as a an alligator (of unspecified size) killed in Bay City, Texas. Trappers remove a huge 11 foot crocodile from Florida's Lake Tarpon. Most of the crocs live in the Crocodile Lake National Refuge in Key Largo or around Turkey Point, a 6,000-acre facility that contains 150 miles of canals full of warm water adjacent to Biscayne Bay. So she called a trapper she had been working with to get rid of alligators near her home. Wildlife officials say it's unusual for the the animal to have strayed so far north. Rumors of the crocodile circulated for more than a year. Gary Morse, a fish and wildlife spokesman, said they've been aware of the crocodile in Lake Tarpon for about a year. This body of water stretches along about 16 miles of shoreline, can reach depths of 14 feet and are about eight feet deep on average. I guess no one knows what is lurking in the filthy looking water of Lake Tarpon. Lake Activities Abound. TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) - Wildlife experts say an 11-foot American crocodile captured in Lake Tarpon was born near the Turkey Point nuclear plant in South Florida in 1999. Lake Tarpon is a 2,534-acre Fish Management Area near Tarpon Springs, in Pinellas County. The crocodile is on the federal endangered list and officials say there are only about 2,000 in Florida. No one knows how long it has been paddling steadily northward, but in 2008, it showed up on the golf course at the Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Morse said. "Wildlife tends to move around a lot," he said. Published Aug. 5, 2013. The American crocodile is an endangered species success story. Today, they are classified as a threatened species. What drove the champ to swim so far? Croc found in Lake Tarpon traveled 350 miles from South Florida home. Florida Fish & Wildlife trappers have captured an unusual visitor to Lake Tarpon...a huge crocodile. 2-year-old Lane Graves was killed by an alligator at a Disney Resort June 14. A photograph of a purported 28-foot alligator first hit the Internet in August 2005, described as a an alligator (of unspecified size) killed in Bay City, Texas. 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