salt water crocs!

[Wingy]

American Crocodiles (C. acutus) is not limited to being a brackish water dweller. They live and thrive in saltwater. What most people refer to as a Saltwater Crocodile (C. porosus) is a larger (although not that much larger when you compare average adults, just when you compare the extremes) into-pacific croc that is no more likely to be found in saltwater than an american croc.

Jackie

Sorry have to disagree on that one - our crocs are often found way out at sea, they are known to pull up for a few days rest hundreds of km off the coast on an oil rig platform. Australian Saltwater Crocodiles - Pictures And Facts About The Saltwater Crocodile

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Yes, we are very fortunate to have these smaller breeds here in Cozumel…but they may taste as good as Lion Fish…hmmm!

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

ALDORA DIVERS

 

[Brules]

We were there at the MB when Tiger and several others were trying to catch the croc on the 9th.......he caught it the next day (10th) and i believe they relocated it to Punta Sur. Since they like to hide under water I think they felt it was too dangerous to leave alone since Money Bar is such a popular snorkel location for boats and shore ppl.

 

[sharky60]

I believe you're referring to American crocodiles. I mention this because while they are brackish dwellers, they are much different from what's usually called a salt water croc.

I don't think these are alligators, I always thought that they were a type if Caiman, but the photos I've seen of caimans have a shorter head.

Alligators have broad, flat snouts, these animals have narrow snouts, they are definitely a crocodile sub species.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't think these are alligators, I always thought that they were a type if Caiman, but the photos I've seen of caimans have a shorter head.

Alligators have broad, flat snouts, these animals have narrow snouts, they are definitely a crocodile sub species.

We weren't talking about alligators. You do know that the US has gators and crocs both...??

 

[El Graduado]

I always thought that they were a type if Caiman.

The two crocodilians indigenous to Cozumel are the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and Morelet’s Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii.) The adult C. acutus is light gray in color and has a pointed snout, much narrower than an alligator. The adult C. moreletii is a dark gray-brown and has a much broader snout; however, they are crossbreeding with C. acutus, so now there is a range of snout widths on the island. Both are less aggressive than the Nile and Australian crocs. They can swim around 20 miles per hour in short bursts and run on land at about half that speed. The thrives in salt water. C. moreletii prefers the fresh or brackish water inland. On Cozumel, the crocs are protected by law from harassment and hunting and are making a big come-back from the days they were fair-game. You would be surprised at how many C. acutus are seen these days just off-shore, moving to new feeding or mating grounds in the afternoons.

As far as which one was most likely to cross the channel to populate Cozumel, it seems clear that both of them did, just like the other animals that populated Cozumel once the island rose above sea-level. I don't think whether or not an animal had a preference or dislike for saltwater had anything to do with it. I'd bet deer, coatimundis, or javali don't like saltwater, but they got here.

 

[sharky60]

We weren't talking about alligators. You do know that the US has gators and crocs both...??

I thought I saw where someone referred to them as American "Alligators" .. could just be the coffee

 

[Brules]

Everyone there was calling it a croc......

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Everyone I have seen in 23 years has had a pointed snout, makes me call them Crocs! American/Cozumeleno they are all the same to me.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

ALDORA DIVERS

 

[cvchief]

Everyone I have seen in 23 years has had a pointed snout, makes me call them Crocs! American/Cozumeleno they are all the same to me.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

ALDORA DIVERS

Good to see you are enlightened. Let's look for similarities and not differences!