Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Take a guess at what they are (not that it will be hard to figure out!):

Chinese gator and cuban croc????
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1.1 Womas, 1.0 Australian Olive Python, 1.0 Centralian Carpet Python, 1.1 Cape York Spotted Pythons, 1.0 Australian Water Python, 1.0 Albino Green Burmese, 1.1 Loxocemus bicolor (New World "Pythons" ), 1.2 Peruvian Red-Tail Boas, 2.1 Hog Island Boas, 0.1 Belem Brazilian Red- Tail Boa, 0.0.1 North American Wood Turtle, 0.0.2 European Pond Turtles, 1.0 Leucistic Alligator Snapper, 0.0.1 FL Red Belly, 0.0.1 Concentric Diamondback Terrapin, 1.1 Crested Geckos, 1.0 Yellow Ackie, 1.0 Yellow Bearded Dragon

And we have a .......winner winner winner WINNER!!

(With the same enthusiasm as the annoying carnival game people)

LOL.

>>Chinese gator and cuban croc????
>>-----
>>
>>1.1 Womas, 1.0 Australian Olive Python, 1.0 Centralian Carpet Python, 1.1 Cape York Spotted Pythons, 1.0 Australian Water Python, 1.0 Albino Green Burmese, 1.1 Loxocemus bicolor (New World "Pythons" ), 1.2 Peruvian Red-Tail Boas, 2.1 Hog Island Boas, 0.1 Belem Brazilian Red- Tail Boa, 0.0.1 North American Wood Turtle, 0.0.2 European Pond Turtles, 1.0 Leucistic Alligator Snapper, 0.0.1 FL Red Belly, 0.0.1 Concentric Diamondback Terrapin, 1.1 Crested Geckos, 1.0 Yellow Ackie, 1.0 Yellow Bearded Dragon
>>

Chris,

Where is that c. rhombifer specimen located? I might be willing to bet that it has c. acutus blood in it. Look closely and tell me what you think.
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Israel Dupont
Winter Haven, FL

C.rhombifer picture was taken at the Toledo Zoo here in Ohio. I also got a picture of a slender snouted crocodile, however, the picture turned out horrible and it's not worth posting.

As far as the bloodline goes on the rhombifer, your eye is certainly much better trained than mine. I tried comparing the picture to other cuban croc photos, but I think that they are smaller specimens, thus, not having all of the same features that the adult specimen has.

Comparing him to adult C. Acutus pics, I can't really tell any similarities. Then again, I wasn't even able to tell the difference between a P.trigonatus and a P. Palpebrosus . If yo have the time, please explain what you are seeing, so that I can understand as well.

Thanks a bunch!!

Chris

>>Chris,
>>
>>Where is that c. rhombifer specimen located? I might be willing to bet that it has c. acutus blood in it. Look closely and tell me what you think.
>>-----
>>Israel Dupont
>>Winter Haven, FL

I would have to say that this particular specimen doesn't have quite as bony of a structure that protrudes from the sides of his head like other cubans. Also is snout is much broader than a few other specimens. Perhaps these might mean something, but as I stated earlier, you have a much better trained eye than myself.

I can see your point.... it looks different from other cubans

here is a pic of a big acutus, and some others of big cubans

BTW... how can I post several pics at one time...

tks

Rick

big cuban croc

another view fo the same cuban

Well, I have only done this a couple of times, and for some reason I can't exactly remember how to do it, but I know you use this command line:

for each image. YOu will have to use the URL for the image location in each of those. I will try it now, just to refresh my memory.

and about about this one

>>another view fo the same cuban
>>

.

Big Tank:

The pics you have posted are of a c. porosus specimen, not a c. rhombifer, named "Dundee" at Gatorland, where I am employed.

I believe those pics are from the ReptileTraining.com website, and were taken by Flavio Morrissiey, the park's Entertainment Director.
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Israel Dupont
Winter Haven, FL

then I should appologize for the mistake... this photo was given to me for a friend of Flavio, maybe you know him, Tony, now he lives in McAllen Texas... he used to work at Gatorland too.. he told me it was for a cuban...

but you are the expert...

thanks for the information..

best wishes

Rick

No prob.
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Israel Dupont
Winter Haven, FL

Chris,

In the first quarter-second of seeing the pic you posted, I actually thought it was a c. siamensis.

The snout is unusually elongated for a c. rhombifer, and the squamosals (the "horns" are quite diminished. The dark coloration is also uncharacteristic (but skin color/pigment could be related to the water or other environmental factors). Of course, every species can produce a morphologically strange individual.

Why c. acutus as a possible bloodline? No particular reason other than a knee-jerk guess. Could be crossed with a c. niloticus, as the snout looks like that of one, or of a c. siamensis. This, of course, raises the controversial issue of hybridization. Here we are, trying to figure out if it IS a hybird in the first place. This complicates species identification, and calls into question the effectiveness of conservation efforts.

Chris, as our unofficial Ohio correspondent, perhaps you could call Toledo Zoo, speak to the croc keeper, and report to us on this. Ask him/her how the zoo aquired the specimen. It is possible that it came from US Fish & Wildlife, confiscated as a hybrid illegally imported, and the agency mistakenly identified the croc (It happens more than you might think!). Their people are not all experts in this field, and they often have to rely on outside pros, but only if they are available to inspect the animal in person.
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Israel Dupont
Winter Haven, FL

Okay... how did that annoying smiley face get into my post?!?!?

Probably from typing a " followed by a ) .
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Israel Dupont
Winter Haven, FL

I agree after looking at some other C. Rhombifer pics that his snout is certainly more elongated than that of normal Rhombifers. As for the "squamosals" (I learn something new from you each time you post ),I am not too sure if that is just as a result of the pic quality or not. I wish it wasn't through glass, because I would have gotten a much clearer image. I also agree on its degree of dark skin color. Most Rhombifers are a bit lighter than that, but as you said, environmental factors can change these. I will certainly call either the croc keeper, themselves, or at minimum the curator of reptiles and see if I can pry some info out of them. This is the first zoo that I have been to that was actually willing to go into detail about their animals and explain things about them, so perhaps I wont have to do much prying.

We'll see what they say. In the mean-time let's get this forum up and going, it has been extremely slow these days.

Best Wishes,

Chris

>>Chris,
>>
>>In the first quarter-second of seeing the pic you posted, I actually thought it was a c. siamensis.
>>
>>The snout is unusually elongated for a c. rhombifer, and the squamosals (the "horns" are quite diminished. The dark coloration is also uncharacteristic (but skin color/pigment could be related to the water or other environmental factors). Of course, every species can produce a morphologically strange individual.
>>
>>Why c. acutus as a possible bloodline? No particular reason other than a knee-jerk guess. Could be crossed with a c. niloticus, as the snout looks like that of one, or of a c. siamensis. This, of course, raises the controversial issue of hybridization. Here we are, trying to figure out if it IS a hybird in the first place. This complicates species identification, and calls into question the effectiveness of conservation efforts.
>>
>>Chris, as our unofficial Ohio correspondent, perhaps you could call Toledo Zoo, speak to the croc keeper, and report to us on this. Ask him/her how the zoo aquired the specimen. It is possible that it came from US Fish & Wildlife, confiscated as a hybrid illegally imported, and the agency mistakenly identified the croc (It happens more than you might think!). Their people are not all experts in this field, and they often have to rely on outside pros, but only if they are available to inspect the animal in person.
>>-----
>>Israel Dupont
>>Winter Haven, FL