American Crocodile
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The American Crocodile is a gentle animal but can get aggressive at times. They will eat almost anything that comes near the river bank, although they prefer small mammals such as cats or dogs. American Crocodiles live in the swamps or lagoons in Florida, Cuba and Jamaica. They have a territory the size of three football fields and will protect it from any other animal, even humans. They are thirteen feet long and have 70 teeth which makes them top of the food chain.
American Crocodiles are really fascinating. Did you know they only eat about 50 meals a year, that's about 4 meals a month! The temperature of the egg decides if the baby will be a male or female. If the egg's temperature is below 84 degrees F, the baby will be female. If the egg's temperature is 84 degrees F. or above, the baby will be male. And the mother crocodile will help the baby's hatch by breaking the shells in her jaws.
The American Crocodile lays about 21-56 eggs, but few survive because the eggs get eaten by many animals including crocodiles. The eggs are laid in April and hatch in July- August. They've a 90 day incubation period and they use the same spot for their nest each year.
American Crocodiles are endangered because of over hunting and loss of habitat. People should protect the American Crocodile because they keep other populations down. But now the American Crocodiles are now protected, and their numbers are going up.