Slender-Snouted Crocodile facts

Custom Search

The slender-snouted crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus) species can be found in the Central West African territory to the south from Angola, mainly in Cabinda, then along the African coast, occupying the entire Congo basin, and going to Senegal, northern limit of the presence of these animals. In this area, also inhabits the other large African crocodile, the Nile crocodile, and the smallest crocodile the Dwarf crocodile.

The slender-snouted crocodile rarely reaches over 4 meters (13 feet) averaging about 2,5 m (8 feet) , and have a lifespan estimated at around 60 years

Slender-Snouted Crocodile - Diet

The basic diet of these crocodiles are fish, birds and small mammals and frogs. Occasionally they attack larger prey, but since they live in dense tropical forest areas, where food is abundant, prefer smaller meals more often.

Slender-Snouted Crocodile - Reproduction

Slender-Snouted crocodiles are solitary animals and are only found in groups in the mating season. The female usually will lay on average from 13 to 27 eggs. Their incubation period is the long , taking up to 110 days to incubate the eggs. The female previously constructs a mound nest consisting mainly of plant matter on the edge of the water body it inhabits, and where it can protect the eggs from predators.

Despite showing parental, care the female will not defend the nest as aggressively as other crocodile species. Juveniles will emit their characteristic chirping, once the eggs begin to hatch, the female then digs to open the nest and assist in the hatching process. Hatchlings will then disperse across the territory.

Despite the existence of juvenile losses to predators, like soft-shelled turtles, they tend to be minimal, possibly due to the long incubation period and small number of their relatively large eggs laid. Juveniles also have very sharp teeth for protection.

Slender-Snouted Crocodile - Conservation status and major threats

Although hardly be possible to see animals of this species in some areas where there were a few years ago in abundance, and their number be in sharp decline in others, it is known that overall there are many animals in good health dispersed by the area, which still does not give the species any special degree of attention. There are no known hard numbers since in many areas, even man has yet to reach all locations. However, their conservation status is considered safe, or little worrying.

Slender-Snouted Crocodile - Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Crocodylidae
Subfamily: Crocodylinae
Category: Crocodylus
Species: C. cataphractus

See also:

Crocodiles info for kids
American alligator facts
Cuban Crocodile
Crocodiles vs alligators