american crocodile

The American crocodile is one of the last giant crocodilians still present on Earth. After the giant anaconda and the Orinoco crocodile, it is the third largest animal in the Americas. Official records attribute maximum sizes around five meters.

Some sources indicate that large males could reach seven meters. Two possibilities: either these figures are exaggerated, or individuals no longer reach these proportions, perhaps due to insufficient prey or a decrease in overall life expectancy. Besides their size, these animals are known for their longevity which can exceed 100 years.

Crocodylus acutus was originally present on a large part of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the Americas. It also frequented all the islands of the Caribbean and the Bahamas. The only limitations to its distribution area were related to external temperatures, necessarily tropical or subtropical.

At the time of Christopher Columbus, several accounts attest to the generalized presence of crocodiles in the mangroves and lagoons of Central America. They frequent coastlines and large swamps inland. Like the large crocodiles of the Pacific, they are frequently observed swimming between different islets. Proof of their historical abundance, the Cayman Islands owe their name to the presence of American crocodiles and Cuban crocodiles. The association of crocodiles with the world of pirates (Peter Pan…) is therefore not anecdotal and reflects the reality of the time.

Over time, crocodiles have gradually been decimated in the Caribbean islands. It is impossible to know the extent of the massacre today, but the species disappears from the Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles, the Cayman Islands, and many atolls. The first waves of population destruction are mainly attributable to the desire to control wildlife in a context of urban and agricultural development.

During the first part of the 20th century, like other crocodiles, the species was intensively hunted for its skin, used in the leather industry. Many populations again suffered drastic losses, sometimes locally leading to extinction. Following its general rarity, this species was listed in Appendix I of CITES in 1981 and received global protection. At the same time, the first breeding farms were authorized. The pressure of hunting gradually decreases in most regions.

Today, the species still resides in Florida and on the west coast of Mexico to the east of Venezuela. On the east coast, it is present from Mexico to northern Peru. More or less abundant populations are recorded throughout Central America and in a few large Caribbean islands, mainly Cuba, Hispaniola and Jamaica. It is estimated that around 20,000 American crocodiles are still present in the wild, in no less than eighteen countries.

Although they are not very aggressive, especially during the day, American crocodiles remain formidable predators that can attack humans in certain circumstances. In general, one should never swim in murky waters where their presence is confirmed. Most accidents between humans and crocodiles have occurred in the evening or at night, near stagnant waters.

Like most crocodiles, males are larger than females. They reach over five meters as adults, compared to four meters in females.

Conservation efforts have paid off especially in Florida, Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. Mexican, Cuban populations, and a Colombian subpopulation have become abundant again and have moved to Appendix II of CITES.

Poaching has not completely disappeared from other countries but has become rarer. The main threat is now habitat destruction due to demographic pressure, aquaculture development, and tourist activity.

With over 400 individuals identified, the largest population in terms of density resides at Lake Enriquillo on Hispaniola, in the Dominican Republic. In Cuba, the species coexists with an endemic congener, C. rhombifer, critically endangered. Hybridizations between the two species pose a significant risk of extinction to the latter.

In the Cayman Islands, the two species also coexisted, with C. rhombifer in the marshes and C. acutus in the marine waters. Populations were hunted to complete extinction. There are many references and illustrations from early settlers about these reptiles. On April 18, 1586, Sir Francis Drake wrote, "There were crocodiles that confronted and fought each other, living in the sea on the shores." The same phenomenon occurred in most Caribbean islands and the Bahamas. Very rare observations are recorded in Martinique and on Margarita Island. In Jamaica, populations are poorly documented and continue to be poached.

In several South American countries, this species is considered critically endangered by the IUCN. This is the case in Ecuador, where it is estimated that over 200,000 skins were exported between 1930 and 1970 from this country. An abundant population originating from the Guaya basin has almost disappeared. A small community is starting to consolidate in the southwest of the country and in the northwest of Peru, in a relatively spared protected area.

In Colombia, the species has almost disappeared from the coast, as in western Venezuela. In Colombia, several conservation and repopulation programs are underway, particularly in the mangroves of the Cispatá Bay.