Cuban crocodiles are an endemic species found only here and in a swamp yet they are endangered and have the smallest natural habitat left of any living crocodile species, scientists say.
Cuban scientists estimate that around 4,000 Cuban crocodiles live in the wild. But because the area they prefer within the wetland is relatively small, a climate-related disaster increasingly common now globally could If not possible wipe out most of the population.
Cuba’s vast swamp is widely considered to be the best preserved in the Caribbean yet may still not be enough, scientists say.
Illegal hunting and hybridization with American crocodiles which muddles the species’ genetics – have for decades threatened populations here. A warming climate, which alters the sex ratio of newborn crocs, poses a new threat.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which listed the species as critically endangered in 2008, says its assessment and population estimates need updating, ut confirming-standing concerns over the limited habitat of the species.
