ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1005 



SENEGAL CROCODILE 

 The slender snout is distinctive among: African crocodiles. 



The latter contained the snakes. As the 

 inspection began, two black panthers com- 

 menced a vociferous spitting and snarl- 

 ing, but above the voicing of their temper 

 came a steady series of sharp hisses from an 

 elongated crate. The writer was too much 

 occupied at first to pay much attention to the 

 latter, unusual sound. In a dark hold filled 

 with animals, where many of the newcomers 

 are seeking to tear your clothing or inflict 

 more serious damage if possible, it is necessary 

 to wrap your coat tightly about you and dodge 

 many paws thrust through the cage bars in 

 many directions. 



The captain had thrown back the cover 

 of a huge case, disclosing a twenty-foot 

 snake colored like an Oriental rug, when 

 the writer again noted the crate whence 

 issued the continuous hisses. The crate 

 was opened. It contained three crocodiles, 

 each about four feet long. The amount of 

 ferocity crowded into those youngsters was 

 amazing. They all but stood on their hind 

 legs in an endeavor to bite. Together with 

 a great part of the collection the little croco- 

 diles were purchased. For a time they 

 refused food — pref erring to fight. Strips of 

 raw beef or raw fish thrown into the pool 

 were instantly gripped, when the reptile 

 threw its body into a rotary movement. A 

 stick poked at one of the crocodiles would be 



seized and whirled out of the hand unless 

 firmly held. 



A particularly interesting specimen in our 

 series represents a species known as Croco- 

 dilus intermedins — the Orinoco Crocodile. 

 Ours is a young example but clearly indicates 

 the extremely slender snout which at once 

 recalls the gavial. The species attains a 

 length of about twelve feet. Older specimens 

 prefer the larger rivers, while the females and 

 young frequent inland lagoons, where, pro- 

 tected by dense tropical growth, the nests are 

 constructed and the young concealed from 

 many enemies. 



It is only in the extreme southern portion 

 of the Florida peninsula that a crocodile 

 occurs in any portion of the United States. 

 It represents a species abundant in Mexico 

 and Central America. This freak occurrence 

 was probably caused by the species crossing 

 the Gulf of Mexico, possibly from Yucatan to 

 the Florida Keys. Certain it is that this 

 species is often seen afloat in the Gulf. It 

 literally infests some of the coast swamps of 

 eastern Central America. Quite recently this 

 crocodile has been observed in Cuba, where it 

 grows to a length of twelve feet. Previously 

 the only crocodilian known from that island 

 was a small species, Crocodilus rhombifer — 

 reaching a length of about seven feet. 



ORINOCO CROCODILE 

 The extremely slendei snout is very similar to the gavial. 



