Credits for the cover photo go to Tom Jamonneau. This is a wild juvenile Western Slender-Snouted Crocodile, photographed in a protected region of the Ivory Coast. More of Tom’s photos are visible here.
Western Slender-Snouted Crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus)
One of the two Slender-Snouted species found in Africa, the Western Slender-Snouted Crocodile is a medium-sized crocodile, with most adults growing somewhere in the 8’ to 10’ range. Large males have been confirmed to reach 13’ and over 700 pounds, with some reports even exceeding these figures. This species has a large but fractured distribution across the dense forests of West Africa, and the IUCN’s 2014 population study lists Slender-Snouted Crocodiles as critically endangered to this day (although that study incorporates both Central and Western populations, as they weren’t widely split at the time). This is a relatively popular species within zoological collections, and several public facilities across the country offer opportunities to view these rare animals. There are a few floating around in private hands, but this is not a species that I would plan to acquire anytime soon.
Aphrodite, a Melanistic Western Slender-Snouted Crocodile kept by Brad Valle of The Dragonwood Conservancy.
Central Slender-Snouted Crocodile (Mecistops leptorhynchus)
Possibly the rarest species of Crocodile in captivity, the Central Slender-Snouted is similar in morphology to the Western, but can be differentiated by a lower number of osteoderms giving them more of a “smooth” appearance - they also have a slightly narrower snout than their Western counterparts. This little-studied species can be found in about six Central African countries, and since it only received wide scientific acceptance in 2018, wild population estimates are a shot in the dark. However, with the IUCN considering both populations together to be critically endangered, little hope exists for large intact populations of this species in the wild. I am unaware of any Central Slender-Snouted Crocodiles within the United States, and my understanding is that all zoological specimens have been confirmed to be of Western origin.
A wild Central Slender-Snouted Crocodile photographed by Tony King on the banks of the Mpassa River in Gabon.
Western Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus cf. tetraspis)*
This is an interesting one to discuss, as many believe this species does in fact exist, but we have no name to classify it under yet. Several studies have been performed to compare Dwarf Crocodile DNA samples from various parts of Africa, and the consensus since 2009 has widely been that the Crocodiles ranging from the Gambia and southern Senegal, all the way over to Benin, belong to their own species. Crocodiles from Nigeria are poorly-understood, and may fall under this species or the Ogooue species. The Western Dwarf Crocodile is similar to the other two species within the genus, and is differentiable only by its distribution and slight morphological nuances. These are represented in captivity, and facilities such as Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland and the Lincoln Park Zoo are confirmed to have them. Privately-owned Dwarf Crocodiles have not been analyzed, to my knowledge, but may well fall under this species.
A Western Dwarf Crocodile kept at the Memphis Zoo.
Congo Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus osborni)
This species has had quite the convoluted taxonomic history - it was first described in its own genus in 1919, then moved to Osteolaemus in 1933, reduced to a subspecies in 1953, and invalidated in 1993. Finally, in 2007, Christopher Brochu resurrected the species, and it’s generally remained in use to this day. Dwarf Crocodiles from the Congo Basin are generally darker in color than those from the Ogooue (though this is influenced heavily by individual habits and genetics), and have a broader snout and less osteoderms. They have been described as not exceeding 4' in length, but this may be due to a small sample size as opposed to their true maximum length - if that figure is true, that makes these the smallest of all crocodilians. This species is rare in captivity, and I am not aware of any confirmed Congo Dwarf Crocodiles in zoological or private collections within the United States. As always, feel free to reach out if you have anything to contradict this.
A wild Congo Dwarf Crocodile, photographed by Matej Dolinay and featured on the cover of Volume 48, Number 4 of the Herpetological Review.
Ogooue Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
The nominate form of the African Dwarf Crocodiles, this species refers to the animals found within the Ogooue River Basin of Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and several of the surrounding Central African countries. All three reported species of Dwarf Crocodile share similar characteristics - in general, they reach a length of up to 5’, with some especially large, old males reaching slightly over 6’. These crocodiles have heavy armoring due to their smaller size, and short, blunt snouts that are ideal for crushing prey items like snails and crabs. Similar to the Dwarf Caimans, this species is largely terrestrial, and is no stranger to spending large portions of time and even hunting on land. They make for rather adorable captives, with beady eyes and almost a smiling appearance, and while this species can be defensive, many have been known to calm down quite a bit. While many zoos keep Dwarf Crocodiles and label them under this Latin name, relatively few in the United States have animals that are confirmed to be from the Ogooue Basin - facilities like the Ellen Trout and Philadelphia Zoos come to mind, and St. Augustine should have some pure animals as well. Specimens that make their way into the private trade are also usually labeled under this Latin name, although none of them have been analyzed to my knowledge. These pop up for private sale very occasionally, and generally go for a few thousand dollars when they do.
A pair of Ogooue Dwarf Crocodiles at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. My understanding is that this breeding pair now permanently resides at St. Augustine Alligator Farm, after a building fire in late 2016.
