Since it is\u00a0World Environment Day and crocodiles are pretty timelessly fascinating,\u00a0we decided to take a little\u00a0extra time on our way between\u00a0schools to loiter on the bridge connecting\u00a0our campuses and consider one of Coast Rica’s most ancient predators, both\u00a0fearsome\u00a0and fragile in today’s world.<\/p>\n
The average adult male crocodile is 4.3m (over 14 ft) long. \u00a0He can live 70 years.\u00a0His diet consists primarily of fish, but can include pretty much anything fleshy\u00a0that crosses his path, coconuts excepted.\u00a0\u00a0He does not rely solely\u00a0on\u00a0eyes or ears to find food, but can sense its precise location using dome receptors — little black dots visible around the sides of his jaws. This sixth sense is a fortunate adaptation for the\u00a0T\u00e1rcoles crocs, who may be literally blindsided by climate change.<\/p>\n
Lately longtime observers of the river have noticed increasing cases of\u00a0blindness in adult male crocodiles. Scientists initially hypothesized that contamination from cities and farms must be causing some kind of blinding infection. However, initial investigations (i.e. five people capturing, hog-tying and sitting on 1,200 lb. crocs while a veterinarian warily checks the eyes), revealed that\u00a0blunt trauma\u00a0is a more likely cause\u00a0than pollution. It appears only\u00a0adult males are\u00a0going blind, seemingly due to gnarly injuries sustained\u00a0in fights with other adult males.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the gender dynamics of the\u00a0T\u00e1rcoles croc population are changing. Where there used to be about three females\u00a0for every male, now it’s more like 1:1. Theory goes, the\u00a0decline of a female-dominated society is leading\u00a0to\u00a0more eye-poking feuds between males during mating season.<\/p>\n
But why\u00a0the sudden uptick in male crocodiles?<\/p>\n
![\"Sunrise](\"http:\/\/www.academiatica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Tarcoles-1024x576.jpeg\")