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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1943 
  

  

  The 
  American 
  Crocodile 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  the 
  American 
  crocodile 
  (Crocodylus 
  acutus, 
  

   pi. 
  18, 
  fig. 
  1) 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  southeastern 
  Florida 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Florida 
  Keys, 
  

   while 
  beyond 
  our 
  borders 
  it 
  is 
  known 
  from 
  the 
  Greater 
  Antilles 
  (except 
  

   Puerto 
  Rico), 
  and 
  on 
  both 
  coasts 
  of 
  Central 
  America 
  from 
  Mexico 
  to 
  

   Ecuador 
  and 
  Colombia. 
  It 
  attains 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  14 
  feet, 
  and 
  

   for 
  so 
  bulky 
  a 
  creature 
  it 
  is 
  surprisingly 
  agile 
  on 
  land, 
  being 
  able 
  to 
  run 
  

   with 
  its 
  body 
  raised 
  clear 
  of 
  the 
  ground. 
  It 
  usually 
  rushes 
  for 
  cover 
  

   if 
  startled 
  while 
  basking 
  on 
  the 
  shore, 
  but 
  if 
  brought 
  to 
  bay 
  before 
  it 
  

   reaches 
  the 
  water, 
  it 
  can 
  turn 
  on 
  its 
  pursuer 
  quickly 
  with 
  snapping 
  jaws, 
  

   at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  dealing 
  a 
  heavy 
  blow 
  with 
  its 
  tail. 
  In 
  the 
  water 
  it 
  ap- 
  

   pears 
  to 
  be 
  inoffensive 
  ; 
  nevertheless, 
  a 
  large 
  one 
  might 
  be 
  tempted 
  to 
  at- 
  

   tack 
  a 
  person 
  bathing 
  near 
  its 
  haunts. 
  Its 
  narrow 
  snout 
  serves 
  to 
  

   distinguish 
  it 
  from 
  its 
  broad-nosed 
  relative, 
  the 
  alligator. 
  Its 
  jaws 
  

   are 
  very 
  powerful 
  in 
  closing, 
  so 
  that 
  its 
  bite 
  could 
  easily 
  sever 
  an 
  arm 
  

   or 
  a 
  leg. 
  In 
  Cuba, 
  as 
  elsewhere, 
  it 
  is 
  actively 
  pursued 
  for 
  its 
  valuable 
  

   hide. 
  The 
  flesh 
  of 
  the 
  tail 
  of 
  all 
  crocodilians 
  is 
  greatly 
  prized 
  as 
  food 
  

   by 
  the 
  natives 
  wherever 
  these 
  reptiles 
  are 
  found. 
  

  

  The 
  American 
  Alligator 
  

  

  The 
  American 
  alligator 
  {Alligator 
  mississipiensis, 
  pi. 
  18, 
  fig. 
  2) 
  is 
  

   found 
  in 
  rivers 
  and 
  swamps 
  of 
  the 
  lowlands 
  of 
  the 
  Carolinas, 
  Georgia, 
  

   and 
  Florida, 
  west 
  to 
  Louisiana, 
  Mississippi, 
  and 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  in 
  

   Texas. 
  Because 
  of 
  the 
  industrial 
  demand 
  for 
  the 
  hides, 
  large 
  ones 
  are 
  

   hard 
  to 
  find 
  nowadays, 
  a 
  12-foot 
  specimen 
  being 
  a 
  rarity, 
  although 
  

   some 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  15 
  feet 
  probably 
  once 
  existed. 
  It 
  is 
  timid 
  by 
  nature 
  

   and 
  will 
  try 
  to 
  escape 
  into 
  deep 
  water 
  when 
  surprised. 
  Like 
  its 
  rela- 
  

   tive, 
  the 
  crocodile, 
  it 
  can 
  defend 
  itself 
  with 
  heavy 
  jaws 
  and 
  threshing 
  

   tail 
  when 
  the 
  need 
  arises. 
  It 
  feeds 
  largely 
  upon 
  crustaceans, 
  taking 
  as 
  

   many 
  fish, 
  turtles, 
  birds, 
  or 
  small 
  mammals 
  as 
  it 
  can 
  get, 
  however. 
  

   Very 
  young 
  alligators 
  likewise 
  devour 
  insects. 
  

  

  The 
  Alligator- 
  Snapper 
  

  

  The 
  savage 
  alligator-snapper 
  {Macrochelys 
  temminckii, 
  pi. 
  19, 
  fig. 
  1) 
  

   is 
  a 
  relative 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  snapping 
  turtle, 
  and 
  because 
  of 
  its 
  large 
  

   size 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  serious 
  menace 
  to 
  bathers 
  except 
  for 
  its 
  shy 
  and 
  secretive 
  

   disposition. 
  It 
  is 
  seldom 
  found 
  around 
  heavily 
  populated 
  areas. 
  It 
  

   could 
  defend 
  itself 
  very 
  effectively 
  against 
  molestation 
  by 
  using 
  its 
  

   powerful 
  jaws, 
  but, 
  as 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  fact, 
  accidents 
  to 
  human 
  beings 
  from 
  

   its 
  bite 
  are 
  very 
  few. 
  It 
  attains 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  about 
  140 
  pounds 
  and 
  a 
  shell 
  

   length 
  of 
  about 
  28 
  inches. 
  It 
  lies 
  on 
  the 
  muddy 
  bottom 
  waiting 
  for 
  

   fish 
  that 
  may 
  swim 
  within 
  its 
  reach, 
  enticing 
  the 
  fish 
  to 
  come 
  near 
  by 
  

   opening 
  its 
  mouth, 
  on 
  the 
  inside 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  white 
  filament 
  of 
  flesh, 
  

   which 
  looks 
  like 
  a 
  large 
  worm 
  to 
  a 
  fish 
  and 
  acts 
  as 
  a 
  very 
  efficient 
  bait. 
  

  

  