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THE CUBAN CROCODILE

COMMON NAMES:
Cuban crocodile, Pearly crocodile, Cocodrilo de Cuba, Crocodile de Cuba, Caimán Zaquendo, Cocodrillo, Criollo, Cocodrilo Legitimo, Cocodrilo Perla, Crocodile Rhombifère

DISTRIBUTION:
Cuba (historical range in the Cayman and Bahama islands (now extinct)

HABITAT:
Freshwater swamp, but may tolerate a degree of salinity.

STATUS:
IUCN-International Union of Conservation of Nature   (Critically Endangered)
Estimated wild population: 3,000 to 6,000, most likely 4,000
Summary: Drastically reduced distribution compared with former range, continued illegal hunting However, conservation action is positive.

APPEARANCE:
Medium-sized crocodilian, reaching 9-10ft in length. Head is short and broad, and a bony ridge is present behind the eyes. Scales forming the dorsal shield (across the back) extend onto the back of the neck. Juveniles possess eyes with a light iris, which is reported to become darker with age. A characteristic yellow and black patterning has led to the name 'Pearly' crocodile.

DIET:
Mainly fish, turtles and the occasional small mammal. The teeth at the back of the mouth are broader than those at the front - an adaptation to crush turtles which are part of their diet. They are noted for their strong 'high-walk' and a strong leaping ability. They have also been know to feed on arboreal mammals by leaping from the water (using powerful thrusts of their tail from below the surface) and snatching the prey from overhanging tree branches.

BREEDING:
They are reported to dig hole nests in the wild, captive crocodiles usually construct a mound nest (which can also occur in the wild). The normal clutch size is between 30 and 40 eggs. Cuban crocodiles frequently share nests with one or two other species. Animals on crocodile farms (e.g. in Vietnam) have been reported to hybridize with the Siamese Crocodile.

CONSERVATION:
The Cuban crocodile is one of the most threatened New World crocodilian species, primarily because it has such a small and restricted distribution (the smallest of any species with the possible exception of Chinese Alligator. The total population in the Zapata Swamp (the main and perhaps only area in which the crocodile occurs) was recently estimated to be between 3000 and 6000 animals in a 300 square kilometre section of the southwestern part of the swamp.

Farms were established in the '50s and '60s for skin and meat production, and now a relatively large number of animals are produced annually to satisfy demand. One farm has been given CITES approval to start international trade in skins.