Page 317 - Central America

he habitat of the American crocodile sides, while young have dark cross-banding hours after nightfall, especially on moon-
on the tail and back. Despite their large less nights, although they will feed at any
T consists largely of coastal areas. It is size, American crocodiles do not regularly time.American crocodiles are dangerous
attack large animals as most large crocodil- to humans; attacks in Mexico, Costa Rica,
also found in river systems but has a ten- ians do. Fish, reptiles, birds and small mam- and Panama are not unprecedented. These
dency to prefer some level of salinity, not mals make the up majority of their diet. On attacks rarely make international news, so
just tolerance, resulting in the species con- occasion large mammals such as deer and this species is not as well-documented as a
gregating in brackish lakes, coastal swamps, domestic animals are taken. Like any other man-eater, as are its relatives. The species is
lagoons, even cays and small islands. The large crocodilian, the American crocodile often reportedly timid, and seemingly lacks
American crocodile is one of the larger is potentially dangerous to humans, but it the propensity to attack people as regularly
crocodile species. This species has a more is not a very aggressive species and attacks as Old World crocodiles do.
V-shaped snout compared to other large are rare.
crocodiles that usually have a slightly wider
snout. As a larger species of crocodile, some A dult American crocodiles have no natu-
males can reach lengths of 6.1 meters, ral predators and almost any terrestrial
weighing more than 907 kg (2,000 pounds). or riparian animal they encounter is poten-
tial prey. They hunt primarily in the first few
A dults have a uniform grayish-green
coloration with white or yellow under-