Sources & Acknowledgements

The deepest source of this book is not a library. It is the lived, hands-on experience of its authors: Tom Crutchfield, Kevin McCurley and Stacey Crutchfield, who between them have spent lifetimes keeping, breeding and working crocodilians and other reptiles, and Braxton Warren, who has studied these animals for more than twenty years. Where this book explains how a crocodilian behaves, why it does what it does, or how to live safely beside it, that knowledge comes first from them. The sources below were used to confirm facts, provide figures, and document the specific events described.

The incidents (news reporting and official findings)

Brittany Clark, Econlockhatchee River, Florida, 2026. Reporting by NBC News, ABC News, Fox 35 Orlando, and WFTV / News 6, among other Florida outlets.

Lane Graves, Walt Disney World, Florida, 2016. Reporting by NBC News, ABC News and Al Jazeera, and the official incident report.

Irving Mauricio, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 2026. Reporting by ABC News, KTLA, Fox News and AccuWeather, and local Puerto Vallarta outlets.

Brodie Terry, Marion County, Florida, 2026. Reporting by ClickOrlando, Local 10, WFLA and CBS12 and other central Florida outlets, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Science, figures and wildlife agencies

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for American alligator and American crocodile range, population, management and public-safety guidance.

Mexican federal wildlife authorities (SEMARNAT and PROFEPA), for the protected status and management of the American crocodile.

The IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group and published, peer-reviewed crocodilian research (including bite-force studies), for figures on size, bite force, senses, and behavior across the crocodilian family.

No general-reference encyclopedias or crowd-edited websites were used as sources for this book.

A note of respect

The events described in this book involved real people and real loss. They are included only to help others stay safe, with deep respect for those who died and for the families and communities affected. If any account here is distressing to you, please be gentle with yourself, and reach out to someone you trust or an appropriate support service.

Above all, this book exists in the spirit of the conservation educators, Steve Irwin foremost among them, who taught that understanding and respecting an animal is the first step to protecting it. Be croc wise, and help others to be the same.