American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

[Balam]

"American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) out basking just before sunset on the edge of a brackish lagoon at Florida bay. The American crocodile has a sympatric range with the American alligator, the southern end of Everglades National Park is the only location on earth where crocs and gators naturally co-exist. They are able to minimize competition between each other by occupying different habitat types within the Everglades, the crocodile prefers brackish tidal mangroves, in comparison the alligator thrives in a number of different freshwater ecosystems. The much more common American alligator has a broad wide snout with blunt teeth whereas the American crocodile has a noticeably different dentition and also sports more narrow snout hence the species name “acutus”. American crocodile are a state listed endangered species in Florida, they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN across their coastal neotropical range."

*This image is copyright of its original author

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By Sean McHugh Reply