Cuban Crocodile
Crocodylus rhombifer
A small, agile crocodile found only in two Cuban swamps that can leap from the water to snatch prey from branches.
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About the Cuban Crocodile
Cuban crocodiles can grow up to about 10.5 feet long, with males bigger than females. They have short, broad heads with a bony ridge behind the eyes and green-black skin with yellow speckles. They have the smallest range of any crocodile, less than 200 square miles, in Cuba's Zapata Swamp and Lanier Swamp. Adults eat fish, turtles and small mammals.[1]
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Crocodylus rhombifer[1]
- Size
- Up to about 10.5 feet long.[1]
- Lifespan
- About 50 to 75 years.[1]
- Diet
- Carnivore. Fish, turtles and small mammals; young eat invertebrates and small fish.[1]
- Habitat
- Freshwater swamps.[1]
- Where it lives
- Zapata Swamp and Lanier Swamp in Cuba.[1]
- Group life
- Forms a dominance hierarchy in groups.[1]
- Babies
- About 30 to 40 eggs in a mound nest.[1]
- Conservation status
- Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2022).[2]
Fun facts
Vocabulary
- crocodilian
- A member of the reptile group that includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials.
- hierarchy
- A ranking from most to least powerful.
- swamp
- A wet, spongy area of land often covered with water and trees.
- carnivore
- An animal that eats mostly meat.
- critically endangered
- A conservation label meaning a species faces an extremely high risk of dying out in the wild.
See it in person
- Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Reptile Discovery CenterSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.
Sources
- [1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Cuban crocodile.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/cuban-crocodile (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Crocodylus rhombifer (Cuban Crocodile).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/5670/130856048 (accessed 2026-10-08)
Facts last checked 2026-10-08.
