| Size |
An average American crocodile can range in length from 8 to 20 feet. |
| Weight |
|
| Conservation Status |
On the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the American crocodile is listed as Vulnerable. |
| Diet |
Crocodiles in the wild feed on fish, turtles, small mammals and birds. At the Zoo, they’re fed rats, trout and a commercially prepared diet. |
| Geographic Range |
They live in southern Florida, the Caribbean, southern Mexico through Central America to the northern part of South America, Colombia and Venezuela.
|
| Where to find me in the Zoo |
|
Note: Description below should include Longevity, Behavior, and Reproduction information
American crocodiles are olive-brown in color. They’re often confused with alligators, but crocodiles have a large head and a long, narrow snout. A crocodile’s fourth tooth on the bottom jaw is visible even when its mouth is closed. Similar to sharks, crocodiles never run out of teeth during their lifetime!
Crocodiles live for an average of 50 to 60 years.
Crocodiles nest during the dry season. After a courtship period that can last as long as two months, female crocodiles lay anywhere from 20 to 60 eggs in mud and rotting vegetation. The eggs incubate for 90 to 120 days and usually hatch at the beginning of the rainy season. After the eggs hatch, the juveniles move away from their nests within a few days.
American crocodiles are very secretive and are rarely seen by humans in the wild. They spend the majority of their days basking by the water. Crocodiles normally crawl on their bellies, but are also able to “high walk.” Crocodiles have internal sensory organs in their skin that help them detect changes in the surface tension of water, helping them escape predators and find food.
Harry: Male, born in the wild in Jamaica. It is estimated that he hatched in 1967. He arrived at the
Zoo on October 15, 1971.
Enrichment
Adoption Information
Featured Foster Parent