American Crocodile

 

 

Measurement	Male	Female
Weight
Length
Height
Other

 

Characteristics	Description
Color/Body
Habitat
Food
Status Reason for Status
Gestation Longivity

 

 

 

Physical Description

These have 4 short legs, one long tail and scaly skin. Adults are olive brown in color and younger ones are tan in color. It also has a long snout and has a pair of strong jaws. The eyes, nostrils and ears are on the top allowing the body to stay under water for surprise attacks on the prey. Males are larger than the females.

General Characteristics

Length : 4 M  (13 feet)

Weight : 400 – 500 Kgs (880 – 1100 lbs)

Range : They live along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, from Central America through South America and the Caribbean Islands. It can also be found along the southeastern coast of Florida. Lake Worth and Cape Sable are the most northern limits of the species. They are more commonly found in the lowlands of Florida, and salt-water marshes throughout Central and South America.

Habitat : Freshwater, including rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and can also be found in brackish environments, such as example estuaries and swamps. There is also a population in a unique hyper-saline lake in the Dominican Republic.

Diet : Fish, frogs, turtles and the occasional bird or small mammal

Status : From 1950 -1970  the American crocodile was endangered in parts of its range . Today One thousand to two thousand American crocodiles live in Mexico and Central and South America It has an estimated wild population of 500 to 1,200 in southern Florida

 Reason for the status : Due to hide hunting, pollution, and loss of habitat.

Incubation Period : 2- 3 months

Lifespan : 60 – 75 years in wild may live as high as 100 years.