Geographic range:
Neotropical: C. moreletii can be
found from Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi on Atlantic side of Mexico,
south to Yucatan peninsula and down to Guatemala and Belize.
Physical characteristics: C.
moreletii reaches 2 to 3.5 m in length and belongs to relatively
broad -snouted species. Dorsal surface and head are heavily armored
with bony scales. Similar to C. acutus,
but general coloration is darker.
Food habits: Juveniles and subadult
individuals eat mostly invertebrates, adults prey on larger fish,
turtles, birds and mammals. This species is also an occasional scavenger.
Reproduction:
Before the onset of the rainy season a nest in a form of mound is
constructed on floating vegetation or close to water body. Later,
20 to 45 eggs are laid. Sometimes, more than one female will lay eggs
in one nest. Nests are guarded and protected by females during the
incubation period, which lasts around 80 days. Both female and male
parents protect the juveniles from both predators and aggressive conspecifics.
Behavior: Crocodile hatchlings are
assisted to the water by their mother, who carries them in her jaws.
Habitat: Mainly freshwater species, swamps and marshes in forested
areas.
Biomes: tropical freshwater
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