Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This guy was at the Toledo zoo, and must have been enjoying himself greatly. He was all alone in an absolutely gigantic enclosure; it was easily over thirty feet wide.

It looks like they may have redesigned his enclosure a bit.

http://www.herpfanatic.com/Crocodilian Species Photos.htm

If you look at the cuban crocodile in my photo, it's the same one.

Good pic.

Chris
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

Thanks. I'm kicking myself for not getting any pictures of their slender-snouted croc; a lot of times I got so excited just to see the animals I would forget to take pics.

Well, I tried to take pics, but the glass was so blurry there's no way I could get that good of a picture of it. I was pretty disappointed, but I certainly know what you mean.

Chris

>>Thanks. I'm kicking myself for not getting any pictures of their slender-snouted croc; a lot of times I got so excited just to see the animals I would forget to take pics.
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

Actually is not a pure cuban. It is a hybrid. Ronnie
WEBSITE

Interestingly, the Toledo Zoo male is not a pure Cuban Crocodile (C. rhombifer). During the SSP meeting at the Louisville Zoo a few years ago, we determined the animal is a mixture. Perhaps 75% cuban and 25% something else. But not 100% pure.

This is evident by the head structure, lack of alignment in the dorsal osteolderms, and a few other key charateristics which indicateds pure a (C. rhombifer).

SSP recommendation is to not breed this male into the North American zoo population.

Truly,

Paul Bodnar
IUCN-SSC Member, Crocodile Specialist Group

I have known this for quite some time. Most likely it is a Rhombifer x Acutus. The squamosals are quite diminished, also in this specimen and it has a quite a dark pattern this isn't commonly seen among true cubans. In addition to that, it's snout is rather elongated, yet, another small sign. I simply don't mention it as unless I know for 100% fact what it is mixed with it is hearsay. I only assume C. acutus due to the fact that rhombifer and acutus have been known to cross-breed, even in the wild due to their geographic ranges.

Chris

>>Interestingly, the Toledo Zoo male is not a pure Cuban Crocodile (C. rhombifer). During the SSP meeting at the Louisville Zoo a few years ago, we determined the animal is a mixture. Perhaps 75% cuban and 25% something else. But not 100% pure.
>>
>>This is evident by the head structure, lack of alignment in the dorsal osteolderms, and a few other key charateristics which indicateds pure a (C. rhombifer).
>>
>>SSP recommendation is to not breed this male into the North American zoo population.
>>
>>Truly,
>>
>>Paul Bodnar
>>IUCN-SSC Member, Crocodile Specialist Group
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

Paul,

Was this a result of captive hybridization or wild(i.e., could it be an acutus hybrid?).

Did this animal come from other zoo stock or Cuba?

Matt

PS...You mentioned you were going to Africa last month, when we spoke at the Hamburg show in October..How was the trip?

Hi All,

The Toledo animal (based on memory) was purchased in Sweden, I think in 1985 or 1986, by the Toledo Zoo for about $1200. I have the exact data records with the animals history, located somewhere in my file cabinet.

It came from a breeding over in Europe. I am not sure if the outside genes are acutus, siamensis, or niloticus. It does not appear to be a 50/50 hybrid, more like 75/25.

Africa was very good and the beginning of a conservation project will soon be at hand.

Truly,

Paul Bodnar
IUCN-SSC Member, Crocodile Specialist Group