Mecistops cataphractus

(Cuvier, 1825)

Vernacular names

English : West-African slender-snouted crocodile
French : Faux-gavial d’Afrique de l’ouest

Classification

Class : Reptilia
Order : Crocodylia
Family : Crocodylidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification

Adults can reach up to 4 m in length for a weight up to 200 kg. Long and slender snout. Up to four rows of protective scales on back of neck. Coloration usually sandy-beige to light grey with faint dark bands on back and blotches on flanks.

Range and habitat

The species occurs in Western Africa, from Guinea to Ivory Coast and Ghana, east to Cameroon and parts of Central African Republic. Lives in rivers, lagoons and swamps with lots of vegetation, in lowlands.

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST : CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
CITES : Appendix I
Status : The species has been split recently, this species is likely the most endangered of the two because of habitat loss and hunting in its fragmented range.
Ex-Situ Programs : SSP in America, ESB in Europe

Observation