West African crocodile

Crocodylus suchus

Irish Name: Crogall na hAfraice Thiar
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

West African crocodiles are reptiles with long scaly bodies, short limbs and long muscular tails that help them push through the water. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are located on the top of their head which as an apex predator (at the top of the food chain), help them greatly when hunting for prey.

West African crocodile

Crocodylus suchus

Irish Name: Crogall na hAfraice Thiar
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

West African crocodiles are reptiles with long scaly bodies, short limbs and long muscular tails that help them push through the water. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are located on the top of their head which as an apex predator (at the top of the food chain), help them greatly when hunting for prey.

General Information

Where do they live? (Natural habitat)

West African crocodiles are found in west and central Africa, where they live in lagoons and wetlands in forested regions. Occasionally, they live in isolated pools in drier desert habitats, where they survive the arid desert environment by staying in caves or burrows.

How long do they live?

West African crocodiles usually live for about 45 years.

What do they eat?

West African crocodiles are carnivores (meat-eaters). They eat fish, reptiles, birds and a range of mammals.

Group Name

They are known as a bask when on land and a float while in water.

Zoo Location

Zoorassic World

Closest Related Species/Sister Species

West African crocodiles are related to other species of African and New World crocodiles such as the Nile crocodile and the Cuban crocodile. It is often confused with the Nile crocodile and was once thought to be the same species.

Animal Class

Reptilia

Animal Order

Crocodilia

Fun Facts

Teeth

Crocodiles go through thousands of teeth in their lifetime. If they lose a tooth, it is replaced very quickly with a new one.

Sweat

Crocodiles do not have sweat glands. Instead, they release heat through their mouths, which is why they are often seen basking with their jaws open.

New discovery

Back in 2014, Dublin Zoo discovered that the two crocodiles here, which were originally thought to be Nile crocodiles, were actually West African crocodiles. The discovery was made when Zurich Zoo DNA-tested their Nile crocodiles (who have the same parents as the crocodiles at Dublin Zoo) and the results showed they were, in fact, West African.

Male or female

The sex of a crocodile is determined by the temperature the eggs are incubated at. Depending on the species, the eggs being kept at different temperatures will result in males or females being born. This is called temperature-dependent sex determination.

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Family Life

Baby Name

Hatchling

Gestation/pregnancy period

60-100 days

Number of young at birth

40-60 eggs per year

Weight at birth

40-70 g

Age at maturity

Around 10 years of age

Size adult

1.5m - 2.5 m long

Fun Fact

Boy or Girl?

The sex of a crocodile is determined by the temperature of the nest. If the nest is 31.7 degrees C the hatchlings will be female. If the nest is between 31.8 and up to 34.5 degrees C the hatchlings will be male. Over 34.5 degrees C the hatchlings will be female.

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Conservation

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Until the 2010s, the West African crocodile was regarded as being the same species as the Nile crocodile. Since being recognised as a separate species, there has not yet been a census for the West African crocodile, so its IUCN status is unknown.

Threats

The main threats to the West African crocodile are habitat loss and hunting by humans for the bushmeat trade and for their skin.

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FAQs

  • Where do West African crocodiles live?

    West African crocodiles are found in west and central Africa, where they live in lagoons and wetlands in forested regions. Occasionally, they live in isolated pools in drier desert habitats, where they survive the arid desert environment by staying in caves or burrows.

  • What do West African crocodiles eat?

    West African crocodiles are carnivores (meat-eaters). They eat fish, reptiles, birds and a range of mammals.

  • Are West African crocodiles endangered?

    Until the 2010s, the West African crocodile was regarded as being the same species as the Nile crocodile. Since being recognised as a separate species, there has not yet been a census for the West African crocodile, so its conservation status is unknown. However, it faces conservation threats including habitat loss and hunting by humans for the bush meat trade and for its skin.

  • What size are West African crocodiles?

    They are 1.5 – 2.5 m in length.

  • Are West African crocodiles related to Nile crocodiles?

    The taxonomy of the Nile crocodile has long been the subject of debate. In the early 2010s, new research proved that the Nile crocodile is in fact two very different species: a bigger, more aggressive crocodile and a smaller, tamer species, the West African crocodile. In fact the larger Nile crocodile is more closely related to Caribbean crocodiles than it is to the West African crocodile.

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