American Crocodile Crocodylus acutus

Abstract

The American crocodile is the most widely distributed of the New World crocodiles, ranging from the southern tip of Florida, along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, as well as the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola. The habitat of C. acutus consists largely of brackish water coastal habitats such as the saltwater sections of rivers, coastal lagoons, and mangrove swamps. However, populations are known from freshwater areas located well inland, including a number of reservoirs. A significant population is known from Lago Enriquillo, a landlocked hypersaline lake situated 40 m below sea level in the arid southwestern Dominican Republic.