West-African Crocodile

Scientific Name: Crocodylus suchus
Irish Name: Crogall na hAfraice Thiar
IUCN Status: Unknown

West-African crocodiles are reptiles with long and scaly bodies, short limbs and long powerful muscular tails. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are located on the top of its head which as an apex predator (at the top of the food chain), help it greatly in the hunt.

West-African Crocodile

West-African crocodiles are reptiles with long and scaly bodies, short limbs and long powerful muscular tails. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are located on the top of its head which as an apex predator (at the top of the food chain), help it greatly in the hunt.

General Information

Where do they live? (Natural habitat)

West-African crocodiles are native to west and central Africa where they live in lagoons in coastal regions and wetlands in forest regions. Occasionally, it lives in isolated pools in drier savannah habitats. There it is said to survive the dry season in burrows or deep among tree roots.

How long do they live?

West-African crocodiles usually live for about 45 years in the wild.

What do they eat?

Fish, reptiles, bird and 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 most closely related to Nile crocodiles.

Animal Class

Reptilia

Animal Order

Crocodylia

Fun Facts

8000 Teeth

Crocodiles go through about 8000 teeth in their lifetime, if they lose one it is replaced right away with a new one.

Fast Swimmers

Crocodile are fast swimmers and can swim up to 32km/ph

Sweat

Crocodiles do not have sweat glands, they release heat through their mouths

Egyptian God

Tests on Egyptian mummies show that this species once lived along the Nile, when the ancient Egyptians worshipped Sobek, the crocodile god. Today, it is found in swamps and swamp forests across western and central Africa.

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Family Life

Baby Name

Hatchling

Gestation/pregnancy period

55-100 days

Number of young at birth

40-60 eggs per year

Weight at birth

40-70gs

Age at maturity

Around 10 years of age

Size adult

1.5m -2.5m, 225kg+

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

Unknown.

Until 2011, the west-African crocodile (Crocodylus suchus) was thought to be the same species as the Nile crocodile.(Crocodylus niloticus). Since the discovery that they are two separate species, there has not yet been a cencus for the west-African crocodile so the IUCN status is unknown.

Threats

West-African crocodile threats include hunting by humans for bush meat trade, revenge killings or being seen as pests. Habitat degradation and fragmentation as humans move into the area and pollution also pose problems for the species.

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