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Concept
Cuban crocodile
Summary
The Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) is a small-medium species of crocodile endemic to Cuba. Typical length is and typical weight . Large males can reach as much as in length and weigh more than . 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, Hispaniola (in the Dominican Republic), and the Cayman Islands.
The genus Crocodylus likely originated in Africa and radiated outwards towards Southeast Asia and the Americas, although an Australasian origin has also been considered. Phylogenetic evidence supports Crocodylus diverging from its closest recent relative (the extinct Voay of Madagascar) around 25 million years ago, near the Oligocene/Miocene boundary.
Below is a cladogram utilizing data from a 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates, simultaneously using morphological, molecular (DNA sequencing), and stratigraphic (fossil age) data, as revised by the 2021 Hekkala et al.
Official source
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