204 THE HERPETOLOGY OF CUBA. 
A free translation of Gundlach’s fascinating and simple Spanish style fol- 
lows: — 
“T have kept in the same tank for many years two Cocodrilos and one Caiman, and 
thus I have been able to observe them constantly. The Cocodrilo walked with its legs in 
such a position as to carry its abdomen lifted from the ground, while the Caiman walked with 
its abdomen against the ground. This gives more agility to the Cocodrilo, and also makes 
it appear higher than the other. Humboldt says referring to the Cocodrilo “that it was very 
daring.” This I have also been able to confirm by observations. My specimen of the 
Caiman was a larger animal than either of the two Cocodrilos, but even so it would run away 
from them when I fed them, making it necessary that I feed first the Cocodrilos and when 
these were satisfied, the Caiman. If the Caiman was in the water it would at once leave it 
upon the entrance of either of the Cocodrilos. Humboldt also says “they never mix with 
each other.” This I have also found to be true from my experience in the Cienaga de Zapata 
which is inhabited by hundreds of Cocodrilos, and there is not a single Caiman to be seen. 
I have been assured that the same conditions exist in the Isla de Pittios. The Cocodrilo 
lives in fresh waters, the Caiman in mixed or brackish waters at the mouth of streams, as 
also in nearby lagoons even if these are of fresh water. There are many places on the coast 
of the Island of Cuba, which are known as “Caimaneras”’ by reason of the abundance of 
Caimanes. Of these I mention the two best known, which I have personally visited, one in 
Cienfuegos harbour, and the other in the harbour of Guantanamo. While I am making 
comparisons of the two species, I shall indicate the principal difference between them as to 
the length of the snout; it cannot be determined unless one has the two species together for 
comparison. The difference that may best be noted when one has but one species, or a part 
of the body only are: the Cocodrilo has six perfect rows of keeled scales, while the Caiman 
has but four perfect rows, the other two being imperfect and scattered. The eye of the 
Cocodrilo is dark olivaceous, while that of the Caiman is light greenish. The colour of the 
body of the Cocodrilo is variegated yellow on a dark background, while that of the Caiman 
is uniform ashy green. 
“One may read most interesting accounts of this group of Cuban animals in la Sagra, 
but with all I must correct some of those data. On the bottom of page 40 he says “We feel 
we have reason to indicate that the species known in that country (Cuba) by the name of 
Cocodrilo (C. acutus) rarely grows to the size of the other species, Caiman, which reaches 
a length of from six to seven feet, but we cannot explain the reason for this &c. &e.’ In 
the first place one must invert the names in the above quotation, as I have already said that 
the Cocodrilo is the Crocodilus rhombifer, while the Caiman is the C. acutus; in the second 
place, it is quite impossible to know which of the two reaches the greatest length, as this 
depends on the age of the individual who continues growing in size throughout his whole life; 
and in the third place they may reach three times the length indicated by Cocteau. I have 
seen, (and in fact have its skull), a Cocodrilo (C. rhombifer) whose length was sixteen and one 
half feet, and a Caiman (C. acutus) eighteen feet in length. Neither of these are, I am sure, 
the largest that grow. 
“Again Cocteau says: ‘Both these Crocodiles live in the same places, but always fight- 
ing each other.’ I have already said that they do not live in the same localities. Some 
may call my attention to the fact that there have been Caimans taken from the river Hati- 
guanico which drains the Cienaga de Zapata, the latter being full of Cocodrilos; to these I 
shall answer that this river is brackish near its mouth, where it enters Broa bay. 
“On page 50 of the same work one may read an observation of la Sagra’s that a five foot 
individual kept at the Botanical Gardens at Havana in a corral made of stout stakes driven 
