Crocodiles andalligatorsmight be some of Earth ’s one-time species , but that does n’t signify they are resistant to the problem confront by mod - day reptiles . The Cuban crocodile is a critically endangered species and is thought to have the belittled range of all thecrocodilians .
Where do Cuban crocodiles live?
The Cuban crocodile ( Crocodylus rhombifer ) used to dwell just two swamp home ground in Cuba : the Zapata Swamp in the sou'-west and the Lanier Swamp on Isla de la Juventud . However , according to theIUCNthere have been no confirmed sightings of Cuban crocs in Lanier Swamp since 2008 , suggest that the sole positioning for this species is now the Zapata Swamp – and they only experience in a specific area of the swamp , which is just 300 square klick ( 116 square miles ) .
“ When you compare the Cuban crocodile with other coinage in the Earth , its sign is very pocket-size , ” Gustavo Sosa , a Cuban veterinarian at Zapata , told theIndependent .
What do Cuban crocodiles look like?
Historically , Cuban crocodile ascendent have been found in thefossil recordthat measure around 6 meters in length ( 19.6 feet ) . Today , though , the crocs measure around 3.5 metre long ( 10.5 feet ) . The male person are typically large than the females . Cuban crocodiles are also said to be the most to a great extent armoured of the crocodile species – they possesshorned squamosals , which are bony plate on the back of the drumhead . They are more obtrusive in this species than in any other inhabit crocodilian reptile .
What do Cuban crocodiles eat?
The Cuban crocodile is a famously acrobatic species and can jump off from the weewee to take low - fly birds , or animals from overhang Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree branches . Typically the species eat hutia , Pisces the Fishes , and even deer and savage pig . The species can also extend on landed estate , reaching pep pill of at least 18 kilometers per hour ( 11 miles per hr ) according to the author of a2019 subject , and sometimes as high as35 kilometer per hour(22 mile per minute ) .
Why is the Cuban crocodile endangered?
There are estimate to be just 2,600 gaga Cuban crocodile lead in Cuba . The independent ground for their decline are hybridization with the American crocodile ( Crocodylus acutus),hunting for skinsand for food by local communities and clime change - related issuing such as rising temperature .
In Cuban crocodiles the temperature of the nest determine the sex of the testicle – 32 to 32.5 ° C(89.6 - 90.5 ° F ) produces virile young . Withrising temperaturesthis could skew future contemporaries to female - only clutches .
The bony plates behind the eyes contribute to the Cuban crocs being the most heavily armored of all crocodilian species.Image credit: Tau5/Shutterstock.com
