DO YOU KNOW AMERICAN CROCODILE??

American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus ) are well-armored
with tough, scaly skin. They are gray-green or olive-green
with long, slender snouts, which distinguish them from their
cousin, the alligator. Also unlike the alligator, the fourth
tooth on the underside jaw of the American crocodile can be viewed
when its mouth is closed. South Florida is the only place
where you could find both crocodiles and alligators.

DIET
An American crocodile's diet consists mainly of small fish,
invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals.

POPULATION
There are many than 1'Scan crocodiles, not
including hatchlings, in Florida.
American crocodiles are within southern Florida, the
Caribbean, southern Mexico and across the Central American
coast south to Venezuela.

BEHAVIOR
American crocodiles inhabit brackish and saltwater habitats
and are normally within coastal mangrove wetlands,
ponds, coves, creeks and canals. Decidedly less aggressive
compared to the infamous Nile and Australian crocodiles, American
crocodiles are shy, reclusive and rarely seen by people.

Reproduction
Mating Season: January and February.
Gestation: 2-3 month egg incubation.
Clutch size: 35-50 eggs.
In April or May, the female crocodile will build a nest of
loose dirt in a mound by the water's edge and lay her eggs.
She buries the eggs and fiercely guards her nest. When the
eggs hatch in July or early August, the female helps carry
her young to the water. But, unlike the alligator, she won't
continue to look after her young.
You

THREATS
Once hunted intensively because of their hides, today, loss in habitat
to human development, illegal killing and roadkill would be the
greatest threats faced by American crocodiles. As sea level
rises due to climate change , a substantial part of
crocodiles'coastal wetland habitat may face saltwater
incursion or inundation.