“YEAR OF UNITY, PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT”

"National Service for Training in

Industrial Work"

INSTRUCTOR CARLOS HERNAN MAYO BORJA

STUDENTS: ARENA CAMILA MORALES GUZMÁN ID:1509251

ARIELA ACEDO VELASCO 1509001
EDU CALDERON GUITIERREZ 1509000

COURSE: ENGLISH ISSUE: THE CROCODILES OF TUMBES

TALARA-PERÙ
TWO THOUSAND
TWENTY-THREE
 Tumbes crocodile
Crocodilodetumbes.com was born to disseminate truthful and quality information about
the habitat, feeding and threats of the American crocodile, also known as the Tumbes
crocodile.

What is the Crocodile of Tumbes?

The Tumbes crocodile, also known by its scientific name as Crocodylus acutus, is the only
type of crocodile that inhabits Peru. In the United States this crocodile is known as the
Proboscis Crocodile, due to its long nose. This species is also known by the name of
"American Crocodile".

In Peru its distribution ranges from the Zarumilla river located in Tumbes, to the Chira
river in the province of Sullana (Piura), although according to reports, this species has
disappeared from the Chira river basin. Currently, crocodiles can only be seen in the
mangroves of Tumbes. The city of Tumbes has as its star this exotic species of crocodile,
as well as fruits such as lemons for export.

In which other countries besides

Peru, is this species of crocodile
found?
This species of crocodile is native to the Americas. Its distribution on this continent covers
the southern Gulf of Mexico and the coasts of Central America and South America in the
Caribbean up to the country of Venezuela. In the Pacific Ocean, this crocodile lives on the
coast of Central America and in the north of South America up to the department of
Tumbes, as previously mentioned. In the United States it is only found in southern Florida
and in the city of Tampa.
 Scientific name of the Crocodile of Tumbes

The name Crocodylus acutus was composed of the Latin words "acuere" which
means pointed, "acutus" sharp, "acumen" point and "acus" needle. The name refers
to the beak that this species has, which is short and pointed.

Ecological niche of the Tumbes Crocodile

Within this concept of ecological niche, everything about the Tumbes crocodile within its
ecosystem is explained. In this particular case, the ecosystem is the Tumbes mangroves,
where this species lives in freedom in Peru.

Tumbes crocodile habitat

 Where does this reptile live?
The main habitat of the Tumbes crocodile is the Los Manglares de Tumbes National
Sanctuary, located in the province of Zarumilla, in the department of Tumbes, in northern
Peru. This natural paradise is part of the ecological niche of the Tumbes crocodile and it is
here where fans of these reptiles can take many types of photographs of these animals.
This place is unique, because in addition to being the natural habitat of the Tumbes
crocodile, it also preserves the largest extension of mangroves in the entire country.

How does a Crocodile live?

The truth is that the lifestyle of the Tumbes crocodile will depend a lot on whether it is living
in freedom or if it is in captivity within the crocodile farm. Most crocodiles tend to be quite
sedentary reptiles, which is why they are almost always born and die in the same area.

Crocodiles are quite territorial with other species. Cases have been found in which animals
such as dogs have died eaten by crocodiles in the Tumbes river. Crocodiles like to defend
their feeding ground. The males mate with several females at the same time and it is the
female who takes care of the eggs and does not hesitate to attack if she sees that someone
is very close to her nest, which is usually built on the banks.
 With humans they are also quite violent. Several cases of people who have been attacked by
this type of crocodile have been reported, but so far no attack has been reported within
Peru.

Curiously, the American crocodile is considered a pest in Florida cities, where they appear in
the gardens or swimming pools of the inhabitants, or even in the sewers, so in these cities
there are specialized people to capture them and return them to their natural habitat.

What is the life expectancy of this species?

The longest life span of a crocodile that has lived in captivity has been recorded in a specimen
of an American crocodile that died at the age of 85 in Paris in 1937. However, the normal life
expectancy of this species is between 50 and 80 years when found in its natural habitat. This
will depend a lot on your diet.

One of the ways that some scientists use to tell the age of crocodiles is by looking at the
growth rings that exist in their teeth and bones. In this way, each ring means a year of life
existence.
 Tumbes crocodile feeding

What does your diet consist of?

The diet of the American or tumbes crocodile is based on fish and other aquatic species
including crabs and turtles. It also feeds on birds and small mammals. It eats mainly at night,
when its potential prey is sleeping. They inhabit humid tropical areas such as mangroves. In
Peru, the species lives in the tropical sea of Tumbes, in an estuary known as Puerto Pizarro.
They also inhabit along the Puyando River in Tumbes where they feed mainly on fish.

The crocodile is an opportunistic animal, which means that it will eat whatever it can find. In
the case of small crocodiles, they feed on insects and small invertebrates, since they still do
not have enough strength to hunt larger prey.
 How do they feed the crocodile in captivity?
In captivity, the crocodile is fed mainly on dead fish, which are thrown at them by keepers. The
place where there are more crocodiles in captivity in Peru is known as the Crocodile
Zoocriadero and is located in the area of Puerto Pizarro in Tumbes. In this place, the small
crocodiles are also fed with live fish, so that they learn to hunt, although due to the illegal
hunting of the American crocodile in Tumbes, it is unlikely that they will be returned to the wild
to live in the wild.

It is true that the crocodile moves quite slowly, but this characteristic is precisely the
advantage that this reptile uses when hunting, since it waits for the right moment to attack
quickly and violently, leaving its prey with no opportunity to escape. .

In captivity, it is obvious that the crocodile cannot hunt large mammals, but in nature, the
crocodile waits submerged near the shore, waiting for its prey to approach to drink, and it is
at this time that the crocodile takes advantage of it to hunt. Its jaw is very powerful and also
tends to turn to tear.
 How often does the crocodile eat?
One of the most curious things about the diet of the Tumbes crocodile is that it has an
impressively slow digestion, so it does not need to eat frequently despite its large size.

A baby crocodile, once it has fed, can be deprived of food for approximately 4 months, on the
other hand, in the case of an old crocodile, it could remain up to 2 years without eating food.

Tumbes crocodile threats

What are your main threats?

No animal represents a threat to the Tumbes Crocodile, however, it has been mercilessly
hunted by humans. In Tumbes (a city in northern Peru), crocodiles were hunted
indiscriminately. There were 2 main reasons, which were to annihilate the crocodiles because
they represented a threat to the population that lived near the rivers, and because crocodile
skin has a great value in the market and is even used in some jungle dances. .

This last reason has been one of the greatest threats and the cause of the decline in the
Tumbes crocodile population. The inhabitants hunted the crocodiles with the help of
shotguns and then proceeded to separate the skin from the rest of the body. The crocodile
meat was eaten and the skin was treated to preserve it and thus be able to market it.
 How is the Tumbes crocodile protected?

To curb the indiscriminate hunting of the Tumbes crocodile, the authorities decided to trap
many of the species that were still free to move them to what is now known as the Crocodile
Farm. This enclosure was built specifically for the care and conservation of the Tumbes
American crocodile and to prevent the species from disappearing completely from the area
due to all threats.

In addition to being a place for the care and conservation of the Tumbes crocodile, the
zoocriadero has become one of the most touristic places in the city and that brings many
benefits. To get there, you must take a boat from Puerto Pizarro and sail for about 20 minutes.
The entrance to the crocodile farm costs 5 soles and inside it, you can closely observe the
characteristics of the Tumbes crocodile. In addition, there is a specimen that measures more
than 5 meters.
Thanks to projects such as the zoocriadero, the Tumbes crocodile is currently being protected.
Sightings of crocodiles in the wild have also been reported and apparently they have stopped
being hunted for their skin.

It is unfortunate that such a unique species in Peru should be deprived of living in the natural
state because of man, but as long as it continues to be the only way to protect this species, the
authorities will do their best to care for the Tumbes crocodile within the Zoocriadero located in
the mangroves of Tumbes.

Is the tumbes crocodile a threat to man?

Undoubtedly, the Tumbes crocodile is a great threat to man, but only as long as man invades
its natural habitat, which are mainly rivers and areas such as the Tumbes mangroves.

When crocodiles come into contact with humans, an attack will possibly be the result. An
attack can be said to occur from the moment the crocodile makes its first approach to its
prey, to the point of killing, dismembering, devouring, or releasing it. For the tumbes
crocodile, it has been observed that the damage associated with its attacks is amputation of
limbs and crushing of tissue and bone. These can be recognized in river crocodile attacks on
human victims.

The reasons that explain these unprovoked crocodile attacks by humans respond to
territorial defense since they are territorial and attack human intruders and other species in
defense of nests and young. It is also possible that crocodiles target pets such as dogs or fish
that a fisherman attaches to his line.
 How do you proceed when faced with a
crocodile attack?
It is necessary that the rescue of people in the face of these attacks is carried out with great
care, since on many occasions when the victim is trapped in the jaw of this animal (it can
hold its prey for more than an hour) the rescuers try to pull the victim. victim through a rope
outside of it, however when the rope is pulled taut to free it, the crocodile can perform a
spin on its own body, known as a "death roll", which can mangle and dismember the victim's
limb in seconds .

Characteristics about this species

The males can measure up to 6 meters in length, characterized by having a triangular head
and a long snout. Its average weight is 500 kg, being the largest crocodile in Peru and the
second largest crocodile in America.

If you would like to learn animal rhymes, visit this page on rhymes for children.

The scales are light in color and protrude more than in other species, their legs are short,
and the tail is highly developed. The eyelids open and close laterally and they have glands
that secrete excess salt through the eyes in the form of the famous "crocodile tears",
thanks to this they can live in both fresh and salt water and even enter the sea. sea to
colonize new territories.

The Tumbes Crocodile can spend long periods of time without eating and up to two hours
without breathing underwater, due to its ectothermic metabolism.
 How to see the crocodile in Tumbes

Currently it is difficult to see this species in its natural habitat because there are few
left in the wild. This is due to its indiscriminate hunting. If you want to see the
Tumbes crocodile, the easiest thing is to travel to the Department of Tumbes, go by
car to the district of Puerto Pizarro, from where you can take a tourist boat to visit
the Crocodile Zoocriadero located 20 minutes away by port boat.

In order to get to the crocodile farm and be able to observe this reptile, time must
be taken into account. Puerto Pizarro in Tumbes, is an estuary, so during part of the
day the water recedes a lot, preventing boats from moving through the water. So if
by chance you arrive at Puerto Pizarro when the tide is low, it will be impossible to
go see the crocodiles.
Otherwise, if the conditions are favourable, the best thing to do is hire a tour with a
tourist company. The prices of the boat tour are approximately 10 soles per person.
In general, in addition to visiting the crocodile farm, the tour also includes a visit to
Bird Island, Whalebone Island, and even Love Island.

What to do when you arrive at the

crocodile farm
Once you get to the place where the Tumbes crocodile is, you must buy an entrance ticket,
which costs 4 soles per person. Within the enclosure where the crocodiles are, it will be
possible to observe that these species are separated by size and the largest are in areas with
lagoons so that they can reproduce.

Most of the crocodiles in this place seem to be frozen, as the tumbes crocodile, like other
types of crocodiles, remains motionless when it receives sunlight. This helps you regulate your
body temperature, while saving energy.
 How to learn more about these
Crocodiles
If what you want is to learn more about the crocodiles in Tumbes, you can request a guided
tour from one of the people who take care of the hatchery. The caretakers will guide you
throughout the enclosure, explaining everything about these crocodiles. In addition, they
will make you part of the crocodile feeding, throwing pieces of fish into the cages, so that
you can see them in activity.

Obtain a souvenir from the

Crocodile of Tumbes

If you want a souvenir about the Tumbes crocodile, you can take photos inside the hatchery.
In addition, there is a stuffed crocodile, which you can hold for a photo. Just outside the
crocodile farm in Tumbes, there are people selling small souvenirs.

It is very common for them to offer you necklaces with crocodile teeth. Do not hesitate to
buy them, since they get those teeth without hurting the animal. Crocodiles always change
their teeth and these people collect them to make a small profit, which for you will be a great
memory of your experience inside the Crocodile farm in Tumbes.