Sewer alligator

The urban myth from the crocodile in the canal or Kanalligator is a widespread story, to live according to the crocodiles or alligators in the sewers. The intensified form of the myth of white alligators, albino population of alligators in the New York sewers. Especially in the USA, but also in Europe, this myth is widespread. White Alligator also serves as identification for modern myths.

Origin of the myth

The myth of the crocodile in the canal was probably in the 1930s in the United States. At that time it has brought an 8 -foot alligator from a gully.

Criticism

Although there already have been some cases with reptiles in the channel, the professionals, the stories only for legends. The channel is not a suitable habitat for reptiles, since reptiles

• Need sunlight to warm up and refuel energy,
• Cold and cold water shy ( they prefer warm areas) and
• Predators and scavengers are not. Apart from rats in the sewers but there is little booty.

Notable cases

Rare crocodiles are detected in each channel, and then usually only young animals. Many assume that local residents who are in possession of these animals washed down, crocodile boy in the toilet. Reptiles drown in contrast to mammals rare. Most cases occurred in the United States with Mississippi alligators, but also in the Paris sewer was discovered at least a crocodile of unknown origin that has been trapped under the Quai de la Mégisserie and currently lives in Vannes, Brittany in the Aquarium du Golfe du Morbihan.

In Sydney, a turtle was discovered in November 2000. It might here have been a turtle in the Australian Reptile Park disappeared in 1979 by Sydney.

In Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip, a 1.70 m long crocodile was captured in 2012, which two years earlier escaped from a zoo and has since survived in sewage ponds and sewers.

Artistic processing

The legend appears several times in artistic and pop cultural works: