Friday, June 24, 2022

American Crocodile

Years ago as Judy and I drove from Everglades NP to the Florida Keys we passed several "Crocodile Crossing" signs. I was intrigued to know that there were crocodiles in the U.S., I'd never heard of that before. I eagerly scanned the road without success. I've been intrigued to see an American crocodile ever since. 

A few years ago we visited some friends in Villahermosa, Mexico and encountered a crocodile in a lagoon there, the Morelet's crocodile, which I'd never heard of before.  

I now learn that there are four species of crocodiles in the Americas: (a) the Morelet's, found around the western rim of the Gulf of Mexico in Mexico; (b) the Orinoco found in Colombia and Venezuela; (c) the Cuban found in Cuba; and (d) the American found from northern South America up through Central America, much of the Pacific Coast of Mexico, southern Florida, and many of the Caribbean islands. 
Recently we visited the Panama Canal in a motor boat and the guide spotted an American crocodile on the bank which plopped into the lake and started to swim. My photo captures just the top of the head. 

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