American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Isla Santay, Ecuador

The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is distributed from the southern tip of Florida in the USA to the Pacific coast of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Despite its wide distribution, this reptile is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Its populations were seriously depleted from 1930 through 1970 due to the high commercial value of the crocodile’s skin. Approximately 200,000 skins were exported from Ecuador alone during this period. Today, the main threats to the American crocodile are the destruction and contamination of its habitat due to agricultural expansion, mining, and urbanization.
In Ecuador, the American crocodile is found in Guayas, El Oro, Esmeraldas, and Loja provinces.