Endangered Species Guide : American Crocodile : Animal Planet

Reptiles

Pictures: AP Photo |

AMERICAN CROCODILE (Crocodylus acutus)

Crocodiles are throwbacks to the time of the dinosaurs, having changed very little for hundreds of millions of years. They have long, muscular bodies with powerful jaws and rows of strong teeth. They also have a number of special adaptations as aquatic predators, including eyes and nostrils on the top of their head that allow them to see and breathe while submerged. Once they capture their prey, they drag it underwater for a wrestling match to the death. American crocodiles were once hunted mercilessly for their skins, but now the main threat comes from loss of suitable wetland habitat.

NEXT REPTILE: Bog Turtle »

IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of suitable wetland habitat
Habitat: Coastal wetlands
Location: Western Mexico to Ecuador and southern Florida to Guatemala
Diet: Mainly fish and other small marine life

Developed in partnership with

(R) WWF Registered
Trademark. Panda Symbol (C) 1986 WWF

Pictures: AP Photo |

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS

HowStuffWorks | TreeHugger | Petfinder | PetVideo | Discovery Education

Visit the Discovery Store: Toys & Games | Telescopes | DVD Sets | Planet Earth DVD | Gift Ideas

By visiting this site, you agree to the terms and conditions
of our Visitor Agreement. Please read. Privacy Policy.
ATTENTION! We recently updated our privacy policy. The changes are effective as of September 10, 2008.
To see the new policy, click here. Questions? See the policy for the contact information.

Copyright © 2009 Discovery Communications, LLC.

The leading global real-world media and entertainment company.