American crocodile

American crocodile ( Crocodylus acutus ) in Mexico

The American crocodile ( Crocodylus acutus ) is an American representative of the family of genuine crocodile.

Features

The American crocodile reach body lengths of seven meters, where the males are significantly larger than females. As a young crocodiles are gray to yellowish brown and have dunkelere transverse bands on the body. With age the drawing faded in most copies, making adult crocodiles are mostly uniform olive to gray - brown. Striking is a significant elevation in the eyes as well as the carapace composed of asymmetrical drives.

Dissemination

The range of this species extends over a large part of Central America, and on the north of South America (Venezuela and Colombia and Ecuador to southern Peru ). In addition, you will find these crocodiles in the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Hispaniola, Martinique, Trinidad and Margarita Island and in Florida in the southern Everglades and the Florida Keys. It usually lives in coastal fresh water in the upper reaches of rivers and in lakes. In the Red List of endangered species by the World Conservation Union, the American crocodile is listed as vulnerable (endangered ).

Way of life

The pointed crocodiles are Grubennister who dig holes to lay their eggs in sandy banks or sandbars. Absence of sand, so they bury the eggs in the vegetation or in gravel and marl surfaces. On the egg plant residues are stacked. Probably nests are used repeatedly in Spitz crocodiles in Florida, it was observed that several females share a nest, while the crocodiles in Chiapas and Mexico have a strict territoriality. The mothers guard the nests until hatching of the young animals and then carry them to the water. Nevertheless, the breeding is successful only in some regions of the distribution area, since the pups dry in saline areas.

Juveniles feed mainly on insects and other small animals. With the increase in size increases the size of the prey, so that extends the range of food on fish, snakes, crustaceans, turtles, amphibians, birds and mammals. Also, attacks on humans occur in this species, but are very rare.