by guest writer Hodari Nundu
I should probably say a few things about crocodiles in Mexico.
We have four species of crocodilians. One of them is most familiar for
Americans-- the American alligator. Officially, gators have been extinct in
Mexico since the nineteenth century. However, a few of them are seen and even
photographed every now and then in the country’s northernmost rivers and lakes.
In the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas lives a more
common, but still seldom encountered relative to the alligator. It is the
spectacled caiman, which can grow up to three meters long and is notoriously
able to change color- although its ability to do so is very limited compared to
that of say, a chameleon.
Caimans are usually considered to be harmless to people
under normal circumstances; they rarely grow large enough to devour an adult
human. However, they have quick reflexes and their teeth are sharper than a
crocodile’s; they are, as all wild predators, better left alone.
In the southeastern states lives the Mexican crocodile, also
known as Morelet’s crocodile. Once on the verge of extinction due to hunting,
it is now a protected species, and its population is on the rise. Recently, a
swimmer was attacked by one near a popular touristic destination. However, most
attacks by these crocs are territorial, or triggered by a female’s maternal instinct.
Indeed, Morelet’s crocs are ferociously protective of their nests and young.
I learned this during a trip to a crocodile breeding center
in Colima. The area was natural American croc habitat; there was a lake where
you could see the larger crocodiles -- the males -- patrolling for potential
intruders.
There were also Morelet’s crocodiles, but since they weren´t
native to the area, they were kept in enclosures to keep them apart.
I noticed that one of the female Morelet’s had a nest, and got
an idea for a little experiment. You see, one of my secret talents is mimicking
animal calls. I am particularly proud of my American alligator mating call --
which I certainly do not intend to use in gator country. Although some people
have praised my mockingbird-like talents, truth is I appreciate critiques by
animals even more. I took it as a compliment when I managed to frighten the
zoo’s chital deer by mimicking their tiger alarm, or when I caused a male
leopard to go ballistic after mimicking the big cat’s territorial call. Because
the leopard had seemed ready to leap out of its enclosure that time, I had
promised myself to stop mimicking animal calls in front of the real things.
But that day in the crocodile breeding center I simply
couldn´t resist. Seeing that the mother crocodile was basking besides its nest,
I started imitating the chirping call of a baby crocodile.
The female’s reaction was explosive. I don´t know what went
through her mind; maybe that her babies were about to be born, and that the
human standing beside her enclosure had to be frightened away immediately. Or
maybe she assumed that I had abducted one of her babies, seeing as the sound
came from outside the enclosure. I also considered the possibility that she
might have recognized my call as a fake, and was angered at my vocal
incompetence to the point of charging the fence, slamming her heavy armored
head against it and letting out a very
loud warning hiss.
I didn´t bother her further after that. I was lucky there
was a fence between her jaws and me!
The fourth and largest crocodile species in Mexico is the
American crocodile. In Spanish, it is often called the “cocodrilo de río”,
meaning “river crocodile”, whereas the Morelet’s crocodile is called “cocodrilo
de pantano”, “swamp crocodile”. However, these names can lead to confusion as
both species can be found in either rivers or swamps. In fact, the American
crocodile is not very picky about where it lives. It has been seen even in the sea,
and recently a man was attacked by one while repairing his yatch in the Pacific
coast. This is why it is also known as the “American saltwater crocodile”.
When Steve Irwin visited Mexico, he expressed his surprise
at the docility of American crocodiles. But although they may seem mellow when
compared to their infamous Australian relatives, American crocs are not to be
underestimated. In the US, where crocodiles are extremely rare, attacks on
humans were unknown until very recently. In Mexico, it is a very different
story. American crocodiles are numerous and widespread -- protected by the law,
they have recovered after decades of ruthless extermination. Attacks on humans,
many of them fatal, have been recorded along both coasts of the country.
Usually the victims are drunken men who ignore warning signs and go for a swim
in crocodile-infested rivers. Sometimes, it is playing children who get
snatched. Livestock, including horses and cattle, are also taken.
American crocodiles are responsible for most predatory
attacks on humans in the country. Compared to them, American black bears,
jaguars and cougars seem rather shy.
Although the eight-meter long individuals reported by a
famous zoologist from Chiapas seem to be a thing of the past, large males
measuring over five meters are still found regularly. The same breeding center
where I provoked the female Morelet’s used to be home to a six and a half-meter
long American crocodile, said by the gamekeepers to be possibly over a hundred
years old.
Unfortunately, this giant was murdered when it wandered away
from the lake and into the woods, where it was found by hunters.
The breeding center kept the giant crocodile’s skull as a
reminder of the huge size attained by these reptiles, provided they are given
the opportunity to grow up in peace.
It was this largest, most aggressive species we’d be working
with at the park. But before we were allowed into the croc enclosure, we had to
start with other, less dangerous reptiles.
Top photo: Morelet's Crocodile/Hodari Nundu
Bottom photo: American Crocodile/Hodari Nundu
Next: Part 4: Hot Herps
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