The American crocodile was first described by French zoologist Georges Cuvier in the early 19th century, and it can be found spread widely across North, Central and South America. But the creature has faced a number of threats over the years – despite its ability to thrive in saltwater conditions. And its numbers have drastically dwindled in certain parts of the world due to hunting, loss of habitat and pollution. Photo Credit: Flickr / Dr. Alexey Yakovlev | CC BY-SA 2.0