The New Neotropical Companion

dangerous Indo- Pacific Crocodile (C. porosus). There
are four Neotropical species of crocodiles. The American
Crocodile (C. acutus, plate 12- 25) ranges from the
Florida Keys and western Mexico southward to Ecuador,
inhabiting coastal swamps. In eastern Central America
the Morelet’s Crocodile (C. moreletii; plate 12- 23)
inhabits coastal mangroves and inland riverine habitats
and is most common in Belize. The Orinoco Crocodile
(C. intermedius), as the name suggests, is found in the
Orinoco river basin, in Venezuela and eastern Colombia
in northern South America. Finally, the Cuban Crocodile
(C. rhombifer) is found in only a very limited range, the
Zapata swamp in Matanzas Province on Cuba.
Caimans and alligators are generally more abundant
than crocodiles. They avoid salt water, occurring

instead along riverine areas. The American Alligator

(Alligator mississippiensis; plate 1.7) has, thanks to

protection, established healthy populations throughout

most of its range in North America. This success story

is not generally repeated with South American caiman

species.

The Common Caiman (Caiman crocodilus), which is

also called the Spectacled Caiman, can be found from

southern Mexico southward, all the way to parts of

northern Argentina. It grows to lengths of 2.5 m (8.2

ft), occasionally larger, though very large individuals

are rare. The Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger; plate

12- 26), which can grow to lengths of nearly 6 m (20

ft), is by far the largest of any Neotropical crocodilian.

It inhabits the central Amazon Basin, from the mouth

Plate 12- 25. The American Crocodile is the only crocodile
species to reach the United States, occurring in southern
Florida. Photo by John Kricher.

Plate 12- 26. The Black Caiman sometimes reaches a length

of 6 m (20 ft), making it one of the largest of the crocodilians

and the largest predator of Amazonian waters. Photo by Sean

Williams.

Plate 12- 23. Morelet’s Crocodile, a Central American species.
Photo by John Kricher.

Plate 12- 24. The Yacare Caiman is common in southern

Amazonia. Photo by John Kricher.

218 chapter 12 cruising the rivers to the sea