Siamese Crocodile

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Siamese Crocodile
Siamese crocodiles
Siamese crocodiles
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Crocodylidae
Genus: Crocodylus
Species: C. siamensis
Binomial name
Crocodylus siamensis
Schneider, 1801

The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a freshwater crocodile native to Borneo, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In the wild they prefer slow moving waters like swamps, rivers, and some lakes. Most adults do not exceed 3 m (10 ft) in length, although there are hybrids in captivity that can grow much larger.

Due to excessive hunting this crocodile is a critically endangered species. In March 2005, conservationists found a nest of baby Siamese crocodiles in the southern Lao province of Savannakhet, raising hopes that this nearly extinct species may yet survive.

In the Bang Sida National Park in Thailand, near Cambodia, there is a project to reintroduce Siamese crocodile into the wild. A number of young crocodiles have been released into a small and remote river in the park, not accessible to visitors.

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