Orinoco Crocodile
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| Crocodylus intermedius Graves, 1819 |
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The Orinoco Crocodile Crocodylus intermedius is a crocodilian found in freshwater in northern South America, in particular the Orinoco river. They have been recorded at 5 meters in length[1], and are the largest animals in South America. The Orinoco crocodile can be recognised by its relatively long snout and its yellowish hide with dark brown bands.
It is restricted heavily to the Orinoco river drainage basin and the Meta River drainage basin in Colombia and Venezuela. It is also known to frequent to Ilanos savannah during certain times of the year.
The Orinoco crocodiles mates during the drier period of the year and usually 14 weeks after mating, the female crocodile will dig a nest. It is a hole-nester and usually makes the nest on a sand bank. The eggs incubate for around 3 months. During the night they hatch and call to their mother who digs them out of the nest and carries them to the water. The young are defended by their mother for a year. Young Orinoco crocodiles are often at risk from black vultures, tegu lizards, anacondas and caimans.
The Orinoco crocodile is highly endangered due to excessive hunting for its hide. During the 1940's to the 1960's, literally thousands of these animals were slaughtered in the Orinoco river and the Illanos savannah. However in the 1970's the Orinoco crocodile was given protected status. However with less than 250 individuals in the wild and poaching still, it is critical that more measures need to be taken to protect this species from extinction.
[edit] References
- Crocodile Specialist Group (1996). Crocodylus intermedius. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR A1c, C2a v2.3)
