Hundreds of crocodiles make their home in a network of canals in southern Florida. These channels also happen to carry water that cools a nearby nuclear power plant.
But don’t worry ā these crocodiles aren’t mutants, monstrous or radioactive. In fact, the reptiles are thriving in these waters. American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) were formerly edging toward extinction, but their numbers have multiplied enough to elevate their federal status from “endangered” to “threatened” in 2007.