Cuban crocodile

Cuban crocodile Temporal range: Pleistocene–Present, 2.6–0 Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
At Zapata Swamp, Matanzas Province, Cuba
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[3]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauromorpha
Clade:	Archosauriformes
Order:	Crocodilia
Family:	Crocodylidae
Genus:	Crocodylus
Species:	C. rhombifer
Binomial name
Crocodylus rhombifer Cuvier, 1807
Cuban crocodile range
Synonyms
Crocodylus pristinus Leidy Crocodylus antillensis Varona

The Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) is a small-medium species of crocodile endemic to Cuba. Typical length is 2.1–2.3 m (6.9–7.5 ft) and typical weight 70–80 kg (150–180 lb). Large males can reach as much as 3.5 m (11 ft) in length and weigh more than 215 kg (474 lb). Despite its smaller size, it is a highly aggressive animal (one of the most territorial of all crocodilians), and potentially dangerous to humans.

The Cuban crocodile is of interest to biologists for its unique physical and behavioral traits. Long- and strong-legged, it is the most terrestrial of extant crocodiles. Its preferred habitat comprises freshwater and brackish water environments, such as mangrove swamps, coastal lagoons, estuaries, marshes, floodplains, and river deltas. There, the adults feed on fish, turtles and small mammals, while the young eat invertebrates and smaller fish. Mating occurs between May and July. Captive animals have displayed cooperative hunting behavior, and can be taught tricks, suggesting intelligence.

The Cuban crocodile is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Once spread across the Caribbean, its range has dwindled to including only the Zapata Swamp and Isla de la Juventud, due to hunting by humans. Captive breeding projects are in place to help the species recover. The species fossil record reveals it had at one point a greater range, with fossil remains being found in The Bahamas,^[4] Hispaniola (in the Dominican Republic), and the Cayman Islands.^[5]