[vc_row][vc_column icons_position=”left”][vc_images_carousel images=”1564,1565″ img_size=”1200×500″ onclick=”link_no”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”sidebarheading”][vc_column icons_position=”left”][vc_custom_heading text=”Morelet’s crocodile” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Morelet’s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii)<\/i>, also known as the Mexican crocodile or Belize crocodile, is a modest-sized crocodilian found only in fresh waters of the Atlantic regions of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. It usually grows to about 3 metres (10\u00a0ft) in length. It is a Least Concern species. The species has a fossil record in Guatemala.<\/p>\n
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[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column icons_position=”left”][vc_empty_space hide_on_desktop=”” hide_on_notebook=”” hide_on_tablet=”” hide_on_mobile=”” css=”.vc_custom_1529329123626{margin-bottom: 0.5rem !important;}”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”uppp”][vc_column width=”1\/4″ icons_position=”left” el_class=”sidebarheading”][vc_custom_heading text=”FUN FACTS” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left”][vc_column_text el_class=”iconnn”]<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Conservation Status” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left”][vc_custom_heading text=”Least Concern” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:center|color:%231e73be”][vc_column_text el_id=”katammm”]<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”57″ el_class=”menuucl”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ icons_position=”left” el_class=”pannells” el_id=”smee”][vc_tta_tabs][vc_tta_section title=”Fact Sheet” tab_id=”1676379291585-c48c19fd-1bd10c07-5266″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The Morelet\u2019s crocodile is a crocodilian of modest size found only in the fresh Atlantic waters in the regions of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. It was Morelet, the French naturalist, who discovered this new crocodile species in the mid-nineteenth century, and its scientific name come from him. This species has a similar color to that of the American crocodile, but the Morelet\u2019s crocodile is a bit darker, having a dark grayish-brown with darker spots and bands on the body and tail. The juveniles are bright yellow with black bands. These crocodiles do not have ventral osteoderms – bony plates that are under the skin – and therefore their skin is highly valuable for tanning. Their powerful legs have clawed and webbed feet. Their tail is also powerful, and they swim using strong thrusts.<\/p>\n Morelet’s crocodiles live on the eastern coastal plain in Mexico, and on most parts of the Yucatan peninsula, as well as throughout northern Guatemala and Belize. They live mostly in freshwater areas like swamps, marshes and forested riparian habitats. Recently, these crocodiles have even been seen in coastal brackish water. The juveniles prefer the protection of denser cover, and adults typically aestivate during the dry season in burrows.<\/p>\n A Morelet’s crocodile is typically shy and timid, though the bigger ones can be considered a danger to humans. This species prefers an aquatic lifestyle, but is also able to travel on land, despite this being more difficult than in the water. Morelet’s crocodiles can often be seen in wetlands submerged just below the water\u2019s surface with only the top of their heads to be seen. They are primarily active at night, when they carry out hunting and mating. They spend the day basking in the sun, at the same time being alert and very aware of what is going on around them. Juveniles will communicate through vocalization (described as barking) when born. Not much information is available about specific social communication. This species tends to follow the basic behavior patterns of all crocodiles, the most vocal of the reptiles, and their calls differ according to age, sex and the situation.<\/p>\n Morelet’s crocodiles are carnivores and have a different diet according to their size and age. Juveniles eat fish and small invertebrates. Sub-adults eat aquatic snails, fish, mammals and small birds. Adults feed on bigger prey, including birds, fish, turtles, lizards, and domestic animals like dogs. In times of low food they can become cannibalistic, eating newborns.<\/p>\n Little is known about the mating habits of Morelet\u2019s crocodiles, although, like all crocodiles, they might be polygynous. This means that one male mates with more than one female during the breeding season. Large males probably dominate over the others in their area, with females preferring to mate with dominant males. Breeding is usually between April and June, with eggs laid before the rainy season begins. Among North American crocodiles, Morelet’s crocodiles are unique in that they only build mound nests, not both mound and hole nests. Their nests are around 1 m (3.3 ft) high and 3 m (9.8 ft) wide, built near water or on vegetation that is floating. A female lays 20 – 45 eggs. Nests containing eggs laid by more than one female have been found. The females bury the eggs and guard the nests. The incubation period is about 80 days. The female carries her hatchlings to the water, where both parents protect them until they are ready to fend for themselves. The parents will also defend hatchlings fiercely against predators and larger juveniles. Morelet\u2019s crocodiles reach maturity at 7-8 years of age.<\/p>\n During the 1940s and 1950s this species was hunted almost to extinction for its valuable hide. Since then it has become illegal to hunt them and populations have steadily recovered. Current threats are from illegal poaching and habitat loss.<\/p>\n According to the Aquatic Community resource, the total population size of the Morelet\u2019s crocodile is around 10,000-20,000 individuals. According to the IUCN Red List, between 79,000 and 100,000 individuals occur in Mexico. Overall, currently Morelet\u2019s crocodiles are classified as least concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today remain stable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Conservation” tab_id=”uppp0c07-5266″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Meet the Animals” tab_id=”smee0c07-5266″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Tigers have reddish-orange coats with prominent black stripes, white bellies and Tigers are the largest cat species in the world, and the Amur tiger is the largest Historically, tigers existed throughout much of Eastern and Southern Asia, as well as Presently, tigers are found in a variety of habitats across South and Southeast Asia, Despite their solitary nature, communication is a very important part of tigers\u2019 Tigers are solitary ambush predators that rely on stealth and strength to take down These powerful cats hunt primarily at night, using sight and sound to identify prey. At the Zoo, tigers eat ground beef, and their diet is supplemented with enrichment Tigers are solitary creatures, except when mating or raising young. Cubs stay with Female tigers reach sexual maturity between age 3 and 4. Males are sexually mature The life span of tigers in the wild is usually between 10 and 15 years. In human care, [vc_row][vc_column icons_position=”left”][vc_images_carousel images=”1564,1565″ img_size=”1200×500″ onclick=”link_no”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”sidebarheading”][vc_column icons_position=”left”][vc_custom_heading text=”Morelet’s crocodile” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:center”][vc_column_text] Morelet’s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii), also known as the Mexican crocodile or Belize crocodile, is a modest-sized crocodilian found…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-1554","cpt_services","type-cpt_services","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cpt_services_group-animals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zoologicodecordoba.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpt_services\/1554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zoologicodecordoba.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpt_services"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zoologicodecordoba.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cpt_services"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zoologicodecordoba.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zoologicodecordoba.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1554"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zoologicodecordoba.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zoologicodecordoba.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Appearance<\/h6>\n
Geography<\/h6>\n
Habits and Lifestyle<\/h6>\n
Diet and Nutrition<\/h6>\n
Mating Habits<\/h6>\n
Population<\/h5>\n
Population threats<\/h6>\n
Population number<\/h6>\n
Physical Description<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\nwhite spots on their ears. Like a human fingerprint, no two tigers have the exact
\nsame markings. Because of this, researchers can use stripe patterns to identify
\ndifferent individuals when studying tigers in the wild. Tigers are powerful hunters
\nwith sharp teeth, strong jaws and agile bodies. They are the largest terrestrial
\nmammal whose diet consists entirely of meat. The tiger’s closest relative is the lion.
\nIn fact, without fur, it is difficult to distinguish a tiger from a lion.<\/p>\nSize<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\nsubspecies with males weighing up to 660 pounds (300 kilograms) and measuring 10
\nfeet (3 meters). Sumatran tigers are the smallest subspecies, maxing out at 310
\npounds (140 kilograms) and 8 feet (2.4 meters). Female tigers of all subspecies tend
\nto be smaller than their male counterparts.<\/p>\nNative Habitat<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\nin parts of Central and Western Asia and the Middle East, surrounding the Caspian
\nSea. Their range has diminished significantly as human populations have expanded.
\nItis believed they currently occupy just 7 percent of their historic range.<\/p>\n
\nChina and Eastern Russia. They thrive in temperate, tropical or evergreen forests,
\nmangrove swamps and grasslands. Amur tigers are primarily found in Far-East
\nRussia, although there are small populations across the border into China and
\npotentially North Korea. Sumatran tigers are found only on the Indonesian island of
\nSumatra. A tiger’s range within these regions is determined by the availability of
\nprey.<\/p>\nCommunication<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\nbehavioral ecology. They communicate through vocalizations, such as roaring,
\ngrunting and chuffing, and through signals, such as scent marking and scratches on
\ntrees. Tigers are fiercely territorial animals, so these signals are particularly
\nimportant to communicating where one tiger’s home range ends and another’s
\nbegins.<\/p>\nFood\/Eating Habits<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\nprey. These apex predators primarily hunt large ungulates, such as wild boar and
\ndeer, but are also known to consume monkeys, buffalo, sloth bears, leopards and
\neven crocodiles. When tigers are found in close proximity to humans, they may also
\nfeed on domestic animals, such as cattle or goats. Tigers are adept swimmers and
\nhave even been recorded hunting in the wild.<\/p>\n
\nTheir striped coats help them blend into their surroundings, where they lie in wait for
\nprey to pass by. At the opportune moment, tigers pounce on their prey, take it to the
\nground and finish the kill by breaking or biting the neck. Tigers hunt about once a
\nweek and consume as much as 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of food in one night.<\/p>\n
\nitems each week. They receive knucklebones or cow femurs twice a week and rabbits
\nonce a week to exercise their jaws and keep their teeth healthy.<\/p>\nSocial Structure<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\ntheir mothers until they learn to hunt successfully, usually at about 18 to 24 months
\nold. They reach full independence after two to three years, at which point they
\ndisperse to find their own territory. Female tigers often remain near their mother’s\u2019
\nterritory, while males disperse farther from home.<\/p>\nReproduction and Development<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\nat about 4 or 5 years old. Mating can occur at any time of year but most often takes
\nplace during cooler months between November and April. Tigers are induced
\novulators, which means females will not release eggs until mating occurs. Gestation
\nlasts approximately 100 days, and females give birth to between one and seven
\noffspring at a time, averaging between two and four cubs. Once cubs become
\nindependent, at about age 2, females are ready to give birth again. However, if a
\nfemale’s offspring do not survive, due to causes such as infanticide or starvation, she
\nis able to conceive another litter right away.<\/p>\nLifespan<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\nor on rare occasions in the wild, a tiger can live up to 20 years. However,
\napproximately half of all wild tiger cubs do not survive past the first two years of life.
\nOnly 40 percent of those that reach independence actually live to establish a territory
\nand produce young. The risk of mortality remains high for adult tigers due to their
\nterritorial nature, which often results in direct competition with conspecifics, or
\nmembers of the same species.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/4″ icons_position=”left” el_class=”sidebarheading”][vc_custom_heading text=”WHERE TO FIND THE MORELET’S CROCODILE” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left”][vc_single_image image=”1596″ img_size=”full” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"