Adult Size: Males commonly reach 16 feet (5 meters).

Headshape: Notice a prominent hump between the eyes and the nostrils on developed adults, and look for the mandibular symphysis at the 4th or 5th tooth.

Appearance: Coloration may vary across its range, but generally they are tan to grey on top with cream to light grey on the belly.

Nuchal Clusters: 4 x 2 (+2 post-nuchals sometimes) pattern with a group of four large post-occipitals.

Flanks: They have uneven scales rows on the dorsals and flanks. It appears as though large scutes are missing from the rows.

Other Notes: This is a large crocodile that occurs in 18 or so countries in Central and South America, and as far north as South Florida in the United States. This crocodile, like Crocodylus porosus has the ability to excrete salt and therefore has a rather large range, inhabiting brackish and saltwater areas of Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hispaniola, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and southern Florida in the United States.

STATUS: Vulnerable

*Compare with Crocodylus intermedius. Known to hybridize with C. rhombifer and C. moreletii.