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    West African slender-snouted crocodile

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    With only a few thousand remaining individuals, this critically endangered species is on the verge of extinction

    Rutpratheep Nilpechr

    Slender-nosed crocodiles are shy creatures, and they hunt while almost completely immersed, with just their eyes and nostrils sticking above the surface of the water —but they can see, smell, and hear everything going on around them. Their snouts can also act like tweezers to remove prey from holes and other small crevices.

    The number of slender-snouted crocodiles in the world is unknown; nevertheless, their population size is decreasing as a direct result of threats to their natural environment and excessive hunting for their flesh and hides. The species is under immense pressure from fishing practices, human disturbance, hunting, habitat degradation, and fragmentation across its entire range.

    Distribution

    Country
    Population est.
    Status
    Year
    Comments
    Angola
    2013
    Presence Uncertain
    Benin
    2013
    Possibly Extinct
    Burkina Faso
    2013
    Possibly Extinct
    Cameroon
    2013
    Central Af. Rep.
    2013
    Chad
    0
    Official estimate
    EX
    Extinct locally
    Congo-Brazzaville
    2013
    Côte D’ivoire
    2013
    DR Congo (Kinshasa)
    2013
    Equatorial Guinea
    2013
    Possibly Extinct
    Gabon
    2013
    Gambia
    2013
    Ghana
    2013
    Guinea-Bissau
    2013
    Possibly Extinct
    Guinea
    2013
    Presence Uncertain
    Liberia
    2013
    Mali
    2013
    Possibly Extinct
    Nigeria
    2013
    Presence Uncertain
    Senegal
    2013
    Possibly Extinct
    Sierra Leone
    2013
    Tanzania
    2013
    Possibly Extinct
    Togo
    2013
    Presence Uncertain
    Zambia
    2013
    Possibly Extinct

    Did you know?

    • Slender-snouted crocodiles are one of the crocodilians known to climb trees

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    Get to know me

    Terrestrial / Aquatic

    Altricial / Precocial

    Polygamous / Monogamous

    Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

    Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

    Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

    Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

    Migratory: Yes / No

    Domesticated: Yes / No

    Dangerous: Yes / No

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE
    Critically endangered(IUCN)
    World Population 1,000 – 20,000

    70 – 90% decline in population for the past 75 years

    Added by BioDB
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    Threats

    Habitat destruction / Climate change / Freshwater pollution / Marine pollution / Deforestation / Farming / Fishing practices / Poaching & wildlife trade / Invasive species / Parasites & diseases / Noise pollution / Light pollution

    My ID

    Scientific name: Mecistops cataphractus Explanation to scientific name:

    cataphractus is a Greek word which means “armoured” or “shielded”

     Other names:

    Slender-snouted crocodile

    Physical traits

    Length: 4 m (13 ft) Weight: 50 – 95 kg (110 – 209 pounds) Lifespan: 50 years Pregnancies: 60 – 90 days Incubation: 90 – 100 days Eggs: 13 – 27 eggs
    Habitats: Coastal Marine Forest Fresh water Lakes Rivers Savannah/Grassland
    Regions: Africa
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