The Sonoran Crocodile

Evolutionary Dead Ends: The Sonoran Crocodile

The Great Sonoran Swamp once stretched from California to Arizona to Mexicos, old and new. And it was home to the Sonoran Crocodile, the biggest, fattest, most prosperous, and most numerous crocodilian species ever to occupy the North American continent.

One day, Junior slithered home from a hard day of yawning and riverbank-basking with a simple question.

"Dad," began Junior, "is it just me, or is the swamp getting ... less swampy? You know, drier. A little."

"It's just you," replied Dad.

"Oh, ok," said Junior.

A few months later, Junior again approached the paterfamilias. "Dad," he said, "my favorite wallowing trough is all dry and cracked. Can you explain that?"

Dad shrugged. "Bit of a dry spell?" he suggested. "It'll pass."

"Only, some of the lads are saying it's because we're pumping out water to sell to the alligators in the Southeast."

"Ah," said Dad knowingly. "Don't you listen to those extremist radicals. Croc haters, they are. Can't stand for an clever crocodile to make an honest buck."

"But Dad," Junior objected, "the swamp is our home. If we pump the water out, how are we going to live?"

"Pooh, pooh," scoffed Dad. "Everything's fine. There's plenty of water for everyone."

"If you say so," said Junior.

Another few months later, Junior was back. "Dad," he said, "the swamp is most definitely drying out. I can hardly find a spongy lurking spot anymore. And there's some kind of new plant popping up everywhere. It's got spiky things sticking out all over it. We have to stop pumping our own swamp dry!"

"The swamp is not drying up," said Dad. "You're imagining that. But if you aren't, it just some natural cyclical thing that will pass. But if it isn't, it needs a lot more study to decide what it actually is. But it definitely is not the pumping. But if it is, do you have any idea how much the gators are paying us? You can't pass up profits like that for a lousy swamp."