Aktiogavialis

The **Caribbean gharial** (*Aktiogavialis paradoxus*), also known as the **Central American gharial**, is a species of gryposuchine gharial that originally lived from the Oligocene until the Miocene in what is now the Caribbean and Venezuela as two extinct species, *Aktiogavialis puertoricensis* and *Aktiogavialis caribesi*, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern rainforests, wetlands, riverbanks, and coastlines across Venezuela, Colombia, Central America, and the Caribbean to help boost biodiversity. A medium-sized gharial, the male Caribbean gharial usually grows to be about 3.6 to 3.9 meters (11 feet 10 inches to 12 feet 10 inches) and weigh 190 to 210 kilograms (420 to 460 lbs), while the female measures 3.27 meters (10 feet 9 inches) and weigh 93 kilograms (205 lbs). As a typical gavialoid, the Caribbean gharial follows the standard crocodilian body plan. An elongated, squat quadrupedal body terminated in a long, laterally flattened tail at one end, and a specialized, narrow snout at the other. As with the other members of its family, the snout of the Caribbean gharial is extremely long and narrow, tapering into a thin structure past the eye sockets. The Caribbean gharial is olive-coloured, with adults being darker than young, which have dark brown cross bands and speckles. Its back turns almost black at 20 years of age, but its belly is yellowish-white. The Caribbean gharial is well adapted to hunting fish underwater because of its sharp interlocking teeth and long narrow snout, which meets little resistance in the water. It does not chew its prey, but swallows it whole. Juvenile Caribbean gharials were observed to jerk their heads back to manoeuvre fish into their gullets, sliding them in head first. Young Caribbean gharials feed on insects, tadpoles, small fish and frogs. Adults also feed on small crustaceans. Remains of softshell turtles have also been found in Caribbean gharial stomachs. Caribbean gharials tear apart large fish and pick up and swallow stones, sometimes man-made jewelry, as gastroliths, to aid digestion and regulate buoyancy. Caribbean gharials are mound-nesters. Females lay small clutches of 13 to 35 eggs per nest, and appear to produce some of the largest eggs of modern-styled crocodilians. Sexual maturity in females appears to be attained around 2.5 to 3 meters (8.2 to 9.8 ft), which is large compared to other crocodilians. Once the eggs are laid, and construction of the mound is completed, the female abandons her nest. Unlike most other crocodilians, the young receive no parental care and are at risk of being eaten by predators, such as tayras, jaguars, pumas, bush dogs, crab-eating foxes, and invasive mongooses. The young hatch after 90 days and are left to fend for themselves. The conservation status of the Caribbean gharial is **Near Threatened** due to habitat loss, poaching, and historic invasive species, however, thanks to conservationists, the Caribbean gharial is a protected species and is making a comeback, largely in part due to captive breeding programs, and the fact that the invasive mongooses are under control due to new poisons that only affects mongooses while not impacting any other species.