Scientists from Canada’s McGill University have discovered two previously unknown crocodile species off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The new species, found on Cozumel Island and Banco Chinchorro, are genetically and anatomically distinct from the well-known American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus).
According to the study published in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, these populations were long thought to belong to a single species. However, differences in DNA and skull structure—such as longer, broader snouts in Banco Chinchorro crocodiles—prompted researchers to reclassify them. The discovery raises the number of known New World crocodile species to six.
Despite the breakthrough, scientists warn that both species could be at risk of extinction. Each population has fewer than 1,000 breeding individuals, with effective population sizes possibly under 500. Habitat loss from tourism and development in Cozumel and ecological strain on Banco Chinchorro pose serious threats.
The crocodiles have not yet been formally named, but researchers are considering names that reflect their geographic isolation, such as Crocodylus cozumelus or Crocodylus chinchorri. Conservationists are calling for urgent habitat protection to safeguard these rare evolutionary survivors.