Crocodylus rhombifer
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) is a small-medium species of crocodile endemic to Cuba. Typical length is 2.1–2.3 m (6 ft 11 in – 7 ft 7 in) and typical weight 70–80 kg (150–180 lb). Large males can reach as much as 3.5 m (11 ft) in length and weigh more than 215 kg (474 lb).
The Cuban crocodile is of interest to biologists for its unique physical and behavioral traits. Long- and strong-legged, it is the most terrestrial of extant crocodiles. Its preferred habitat comprises freshwater and brackish water environments, such as mangrove swamps, coastal lagoons, estuaries, marshes, floodplains, and river deltas. There, the adults feed on fish, turtles and small mammals, while the young eat invertebrates and smaller fish. Mating occurs between May and July. Captive animals have displayed cooperative hunting behavior, and can be taught tricks, suggesting intelligence.
The Cuban crocodile is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Once spread across the Caribbean, its range has dwindled to only the Zapata Swamp, due to hunting by humans. Captive breeding projects are in place to help the species recover. The species' fossil record reveals it had at one point a greater range, with fossil remains being found in the Bahamas, Hispaniola and the Cayman Islands. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Skansen | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 4 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Al Ain Zoo | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 6 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Sedgwick County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Louisville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Bear Country USA | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Novosibirsk Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 11 | Tanganyika Wildlife Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Gatorland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Zoo Knoxville | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Almaty Zoo | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | |
| 15 | Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 16 | Zagreb Zoo | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 17 | Ellen Trout Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Jardín Zoológico El Bosque | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 19 | Everglades Alligator Farm | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Poema del Mar Aquarium | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 23 | Saint Augustine Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 24 | Zoo Samara | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 25 | Sea Life | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 26 | Baltic Sea Science Center | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 27 | Glen Echo Park Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 28 | Park Edukacyjny Zoo-Egzotyczne Kaszuby | 🇵🇱 Poland |
No species of the same family or order lives in Ciénaga de Zapata, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Cuban Crocodile sighting in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 9 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and September
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Cuban Crocodile in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, against under 5% in February, the lowest month. Those are among Ciénaga de Zapata's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain a month against 15 mm in February.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cuban Crocodile sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Ciénaga de Zapata, in our data
Ciénaga de Zapata is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Cuban Crocodile sightings: about 40% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cuban Crocodile is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ciénaga de Zapata (21 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
