LURKING up out of the gloom, this croc sure seems happy to see you.
The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is found across great swathes of Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. A small population is also still found in Florida. It lives in lagoons and mangrove swamps, where it lays clutches of eggs. This shot was taken in Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba.
Advertisement
American crocodiles mostly eat insects, small fish, crustaceans and small mammals. They very rarely attack humans, although they are considered one of the eight crocodilian species that do sometimes launch unprovoked attacks. They can be huge too: some of the ones in Central America grow to be more than 6 metres long.
From the 1930s until the 1970s, the American crocodile was hunted for its beautiful hide, but the species is now protected, which has aided its recovery in most areas. Captive breeding programmes have also helped it spring back.
However, illegal hunting still goes on and continued habitat loss means it remains classified as 鈥渧ulnerable鈥� by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Photographer
Claudio Contreras,
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淪mile!鈥�
