Chinese Alligator

Chinese Alligator in Captivity

Did you know that there are only two species of Alligator in the entire world, and that they live in completely opposite hemispheres? The large American Alligator that we all know has a much smaller cousin, the Chinese Alligator, which grows to lengths of only about 5 ft! They are one of the smallest Crocodilians, and also one of the most rare.

Native only to China, the Chinese Alligator is Critically Endangered. It is estimated that there are only around 130 left in the wild! The severe drop in numbers is due to loss of habitat; the marshes that they live in are being converted to agricultural land. Luckily they have been bred successfully in captivity, and some have even been reintroduced back to the wild!

Chinese Alligators hunt at night and consume molluscs, fish, and other small water-living animals.

One interesting fact about these Alligators is that the female not only guards her 10-40 eggs every year, but she digs them out when they are ready to hatch and actually remains near her children throughout the winter.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered

Location : China
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Crocodilia
Family : Alligatoridae -- Genus : Alligator -- Species : A. sinensis

Dwarf Crocodile

Osteolaemus tetraspis

Meet the smallest living Crocodile, the appropriately named Dwarf Crocodile! These guys top out at lengths of only 5ft, which is pretty minuscule when you compare them to their larger Nile cousins. Those guys can grow to 16ft or more!

Dwarf Crocodiles are found in tropical west and central Africa. They live in ponds, swamps, and marshes, where they are most active during the nighttime hours.

When it comes to their personality and behavior, Dwarf Crocodiles are pretty timid and slow moving, but that doesn't mean they aren't still effective predators! They feed on all sorts of invertebrates and vertebrates alike, and will also consume carrion when available.

Mother Dwarf Crocodiles are very attentive parents. They build mounds out of decaying vegetation, which generate the heat needed to incubate the eggs. She will guard the mound until the eggs hatch, and then watch over her offspring for up to a year, as their small size makes them very vulnerable to predation.

Unfortunately, Dwarf Crocodiles are listed as Vulnerable. They aren't as well studied as their larger cousins, so the exact population status isn't as understood. It appears that hunting and deforestation are contributing to their decline.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Crocodilia
Family : Crocodylidae -- Genus : Osteolaemus -- Species : O. tetraspis

Morelet's Crocodile

Crocodylus moreletii

Allow me to introduce you to the Morelet's Crocodile, named for P.M.A. Morelet who discovered the species in 1850. This species, which lives in Central America, grows to lengths of up to 3m. They can be found in secluded freshwater swamps and marshes near the Gulf of Mexico.

Morelet's Crocodiles have been in trouble for a number of decades. They have been illegally hunted since the early 20th century because their skin can be used to make high quality leather. Habitat destruction has also hurt the species. Since the 1970s they have been monitored by the Crocodile Specialist Group, and their numbers have been improving.

Behavior wise, Morelet's Crocodiles are considered to be shy, which is why they prefer secluded habitats. They have the distinction of being the only New World Crocodile that they exclusively build mound nests for their eggs. These nests can be 3m wide and 1m tall, and the female will guard over their eggs until they hatch. She will then dig out her offspring and carry them to the water.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern - Conservation Dependant
Location : Guatemala, Belize, Mexico
Size : Length up to 9.8ft (3m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Crocodilia
Family : Crocodylidae -- Genus : Crocodylus -- Species : C. moreletii

SuperCroc

Sarcosuchus imperator

Dinosaurs weren't the only massive reptiles to walk the earth millions of years ago, humongous Crocodiles were right there with them!

Meet Sarcosuchus, the "SuperCroc." This king of the middle Cretaceous was over twice the length of our modern Crocs, and had a head as long as a man is tall!

Sarcosuchus was first discovered back in the 1960s, but the remains were smaller and less complete. In 2000, paleontologist Paul Sereno located more complete, far larger fossils in the Saraha Desert. The name "SuperCroc" was born.

There is some argument over what SuperCroc ate. While some suggest that it may have gone after Dinosaurs, due to its massive size, others think they it probably just fed on fish. This is because its snout is similar to modern Gharials that eat fish almost exclusively.

SuperCroc went extinct around 110 million years ago, but as we all know, the Crocodile family lived on. SuperCroc is not a direct descendant of modern Crocodiles, but it did share many characteristics. These include the ability to create a wide range of sounds, and the upward placement of the eyes.

SuperCroc compared to other Crocodiles

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Status : Extinct for 110 million years

Location : Fossils discovered in what is now the Sahara Desert

Size : Length up to 40ft (12.2m), Weight up to 8.75 tons (7,900 kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Subclass : Diapsida
Family : †Pholidosauridae -- Genus : †Sarcosuchus -- Species : S. imperator