American Crocodile

This impressive pre-historic animal lives in salty as well as in fresh waters in Costa Rica. It was prone to severe hunting by the local inhabitants due to its dangerousness for humans and cattle. However there occur still accidents (for example with a boy who swam in the river Tortuguero in April 2007 and was attacked by a crocodile) there is almost no hunting anymore and the species recovered in the past decades.
But still some people bet their lives: male inhabitants of the tiny village of Ortega in the province of Guancaste try to catch the largest one that they can find to prove there braveness: a tradition at eastern that exists since 150 years.

Characteristics: The American Crocodile measures easily 3 to 4 metres. Larger examples can be up to eight metres! In contrast to caimans it has a pointed snout, teeth that are visible when the mouth is closed and scales that are erect from its back and tail. Crocodiles eat fish, turtles and small mammals.

Where and when to see in Costa Rica: it is easy to spot crocodiles taking a sun bath on the sand banks or at river sides. Some perfect places to view them are: the bridge over the river Tárcoles (the road to Quepos and Manuela Antonio at the Pacific Coast), the laguna in wildlife refuge La Ensenada (only in the rainy season) and the sandbanks in the river Tempisque, where it flows together with the Bebedero river (to observe from the new bridge over the Tempisque). Also good opportunities to see these animals give the canals between Tortuguero and Moín (especially in the river Matina) and during a boat trip over the river Sarapiquí.