Now, this behavior, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation the FWC helps to regulate the reptile's body temperature and is not seen as a sign of aggression. The FWC calls the population of the American crocodile in the state of Florida a conservation success story. The American crocodile was listed as an endangered species back in 1975 though the numbers have since recovered, at least in Florida from just under a few hundred to as many as 2000 adult crocodiles. That according to the agency's website