The American Crocodile Essay -- Research Papers Crocodiles Animals Ess

The American Crocodile(genus Crocodylus acutus)Crocodylus acutus, or more than commonly referred to as the American crocodile, is the second near widely distributed of the New World crocodiles, ranging from the southern tip of Florida, both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of Southern Mexico, as well as the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola (1 Species). These aras provide the double-dyed(a) climate for these wipeoutangered species that progress to roamed the earth for over 200 one one million million million years. Florida is known for its large population of American alligators, which argon often baffled for the rare American crocodile. However, there are vast differences betwixt the twain species. Hunted for their hides and the changing of their habitat to beach front billet is late pushing the American crocodile out of Florida, the only place it is institute in the United States. For 190 million years before the first valet evolved, huge populations of crocodilians, in more or less their present form, live the waters and shorelines of rivers, lakes, swamps, and estuaries of tropical and subtropical lands. Today they represent the last authorized survivors of the huge reptiles that once dominated the seas and landmasses of Earth for over 200 million years (6 Levy). However, KIt is inappropriate to treat crocodilians as living fossils whose lower status forced them into a marginal ecological role as amphibious predators in a world now dominated by mammals. In fact, they are highly specialized for their particular mode of life and have undergone considerable changes during their long evolutionary historyK (14 Ross). Among living vertebrates, crocodilians are most closely related to birds rather than to lizards (14). Even though these two groups are now adapted to different modes of life, they both have an unfold outer ear canal, a muscular gizzard, and complete separation of the ventricles of the heart. Crocodilians are the m ost advanced of all reptiles. They are elongated, armored, and lizard-like, with a muscular, laterally regulate tail used in swimming. The snout is also elongated, with the nostrils set to the end to allow breathing while most of the body remains go down under water (42). The success of the Crocodile is evidenced by the relatively few changes that have occurred since crocodilians first appeared about 200 million years past (42). The Croc... ...of Florida, both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of Southern Mexico, as well as the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola (1 Species). The American crocodile is often confused for its cousin the American alligator the more aggressive and dominant reptile of Florida. However, there are vast differences between the two species. Hunted for their hides and the changing of their habitat to beach front property is slowly pushing the American crocodile out of Florida, the only place it is found in the United States. Perhaps with the continued efforts of FPL and CITES the American crocodile will give out a more abundant species. Works Cited10B, Sunsentinal, July 4, 1992Curvier, 1807, www.bio.bris.ac.uk/research/crocs/csp_cacu.htmGatorland, www.gatorland.comGuggisberg, C.A.W., Stackpole Books, Pennsylvania 1972Levy, Charles, fin Publishing Limited, London, 1991McClure, Robert, Sun-Sentinel, August 13, 1995, 1AMiller, Jill Young, Sun-Sentinel, July 29, 1993, 1ERoss, Charles, A. Facts on File, New York, 1989Species Accounts, www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/act-plan/cacut.htmWeinlaub, Dean, Sun-Sentinel, October 30, 1994, 6H