The Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge, located in the north of Costa Rica, is a place full of enormous biodiversity. Birds, fish, insects, amphibians, and reptiles of all kinds are found in abundance. But if we were to highlight one in particular, then we would have to say that the alligator is king of the swamp.
The Caiman crocodylus belongs to the order of the large underwater lizards (Crocodilia) in which the crocodile is also included. In addition, this group has the closest living relatives to the birds, as they descend from a common ancestor.
Caiman Vs Crocodile
Alligators differ from crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in the first place by their size, since alligators are smaller and can reach sizes of up to 3 meters, while crocodiles can measure up to 6 meters long. The shape of their heads and snouts is also different, alligators have a shape similar to the letter U, while crocodiles are more similar to the letter V. Another different characteristic is the teeth, because in crocodiles these are more prominent, especially the lower ones that can be easily seen pointing upwards. Alligators have smaller, more aligned teeth that barely protrude from the jaw.
Caño negro alligators are one of the main attractions and when you start a boat tour across the river, you find that they are relatively common, especially on sunny days. In fact, the largest population of alligators in Central America is found in the Caño Negro refuge. Despite this, attacks on humans are very rare and are mainly due to the irresponsibility of some people.
Unfortunately, alligators do not escape the impact of climate change and human activities. The increase in temperature generates changes in the nests, and the eggs, which need temperature variations to define the females and the males, are exposed to an imbalance, which is why in recent years there has been an increase in males and a low considerable number of females.
Versión en español
El refugio nacional de vida silvestre Caño Negro, ubicado en el norte de Costa Rica, es un lugar lleno de una enorme biodiversidad. Aves, peces, insectos, anfibios y reptiles de todas clases se encuentran en abundancia. Pero si tuviéramos que destacar uno en particular, entonces tendríamos que decir que el caimán es el rey del pantano.
El Caiman crocodylus pertenece al orden de los grandes lagartos subacuáticos (Crocodilia) en los que también se incluye el cocodrilo. Además, este este grupo posee a los parientes vivos más cercanos a as aves, pues descienden de un ancestro común.
Caiman Vs Cocodrilo
Los caimanes se diferencian de los cocodrilos (Crocodylus acutus) en primer lugar por su tamaño, pues los caimanes son más pequeños y pueden alcanzar tamaños de hasta 3 metros, mientras que los cocodrilos pueden llegar a medir los 6 metros de largo. La forma de sus cabezas y hocicos también es diferente, los caimanes poseen una forma semejante a la letra U, mientras que los cocodrilos son más parecidos a la letra V. Otra característica diferentes son los dientes, pues en los cocodrilos estos son mas prominentes, especialmente los inferiores que se pueden apreciar fácilmente apuntando hacia arriba. Los caimanes en tienen dientes mas pequeños y alineados y apenas sobresalen de la mandíbula.
Los caimanes de caño negro son una de las principales atracciones y cuando inicias un recorrido en bote a través del río, te das cuenta que son relativamente comunes, especialmente en los días soleados. De hecho la mayor población de caimanes de Centroamérica se encuentra en el refugio Caño Negro. A pesar de esto, los ataques a humanos son muy raros y se deben principalmente a la irresponsabilidad de algunas personas.
Lamentablemente, los caimanes no escapan del impacto del cambio climático y las actividades humanas. El aumento de temperatura genera cambio en los nidos, y los huevos, que necesitan de variaciones de temperatura para definir las hembras y los machos, están expuestos a un desequilibrio, por eso en los últimos años se ha observado un incremento de machos y una baja considerable de hembras.
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Seen from the crocodile's eyes looking at the camera, I think that's what makes the photo perfect. Amazing! 🥰🥰🤗🤗
When someone approaches they do not take their eyes off him, I think they are alert to flee at the first sign of alarm. But you're right, that enhances photography.
Yeah, of course it's a sign of danger and looking for prey, but because of their eyes the photos become more interesting 🥰🥰
He really is the king!
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STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
Check out the last post from @hivebuzz:
It looks pretty scary and beautiful at the same time)
Thanks for your comment. Yes, they may look a little scary, but I think they are more afraid of us.