Patti Bartlett holding a juvie Cuban Croc at the Cuban Crocodile Farm.

Crocodiles, by the definition of most of the populace, are beasts bent on removing, by hook or by crook, much of the human population—or at least removing most among us silly enough to have anything to do with these wonderfully adapted, predominantly aquatic, beasts. At this point it behooves me to state that I am one who knows next to nothing about crocodiles.

Oh, in bygone years I’ve kept a few hatchlings of various species, but as soon as any got up to that 2 foot-mark, they were returned to the various origins. I’ve never been sorry for these self-imposed limitations. Rather than mention here ones that I have kept, I’ll simply mention a couple that I haven’t kept. These 2 were and are the Saltwater Croc, Crocodylus porosus and the Cuban Croc, Crocodylus rhombifer. The “Salty” is an immense beast, recorded as having attained a length of 23 feet, a weight of 2000 pounds, a man-eating attitude, and a huge range in the Old World. The Cuban Croc, on the other hand is, in size and range, exactly the opposite. It is adult at a length of about 7 feet (occasional individuals are said to push 11 feet), weighs between 200 and 500 pounds, and is critically endangered. It is now restricted to fresh water habitats in Cuba's Zapata Swamp and Isla de la Juventud. It, as keepers have painfully learned, is an accomplished jumper and retains an overwhelmingly intolerant disposition and can move surprisingly quickly and accurately on land. It is, in fact, considered the most terrestrial of today’s crocodiles. Captive animals have displayed cooperative hunting behavior, and can be taught tricks.

This “mid-sized” croc is rather brightly colored in roughened black and cream colored scales. The head and jaws are proportionately large and there are large temporal ridges. Juveniles eat fish and invertebrates, adults consume fish, turtles, small mammals and birds.

Despite its relatively small size, the Cuban Crocodile is a highly aggressive animal, and potentially dangerous to humans.