American Crocodile (crocodylus acutus) By: Drew Everson

General Knowledge Sizes: Females range from 9.8-12 feet in length around 600-900 lbs Males range from 13-20 feet in length and 880-1,100 lbs Coloration: Adults are a grayish green with white or yellow stomachs Young have a bright stripe down their back and tail

Species Location(s) Southern Florida Bahamas Dominican Republic and Haiti Northern South America Throughout Central America

Population Growth Status The population is steadily growing Reasons why: Conservation efforts Banned commercial hunting Although it is no longer considered endangered and has been downgraded to “threatened”, the species is still conserved with the Endangered Species Act

Terminology Male: Bull Female: Cow Newborn: Hatchling Group: Float/bask

Life Cycle Begins hunting almost immediately after the mother stops watching over them constantly Rarely lives through childhood If they live they will grow rapidly Will age to around a maximum of 90 years old

Habitat American crocodiles need a constantly tropical temperature to live. Can survive and thrive in saltwater because of their high level of salinity tolerance Although they usually live in freshwater or brackish rivers, lakes, streams, or ponds

Family/Related Animals Alligator Caiman Gharial These are three animals related to the crocodile in general

Mating Relationships Crocodiles have temporary mating partners Usually change every mating season

Reproduction Crocodiles lay eggs and do not have live birth They have a 2-3 month gestation period They lay their eggs in late fall or early winter The age of reproduction is unknown although for females it is thought to possibly be 10-13

Diet and Digestive System Fish Land mammals Smaller reptiles Birds They have no real predators, therefore anything they come across is considered prey for the American Crocodile. The digestive tract of crocodiles is fairly short because meat is a simple food.

Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_crocodile http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C02J

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