Slender Snout Crocodile

Mecistops cataphractus

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the slender snout crocodile. Originally, these reptiles were classified as true crocodiles and they had this classification for nearly 200 years. However, genetic testing revealed these crocodilians aren't quite the same as true crocodiles, so they've been reclassified. It's now believed the slender snout crocodile is most closely related to the dwarf crocodiles of Africa. One feature that sets slender snout crocodiles apart from true crocodiles are the scales along their back. Most crocodiles have only two rows of thickened back scales, but slender snout crocodiles have up to four!

There's even more to the slender snout crocodile's taxonomy. Until the turn of the century, it was believed these reptiles that range across the rainforest belt of central and west Africa comprised only a single species. Today, they're separated into two distinct species. This is big because it not only means a new living crocodile species has been named and detailed for the first time in over 80 years, it also means that the tiny population of this animal is even smaller than originally anticipated. While the population overall is the same, it's now split between two species, meaning each species has far fewer numbers. In fact, these are not only some of the least known crocodilians alive today, they're also some of the most endangered.

Slender snout crocodiles are listed as critically endangered to extinction. They face threats such as poaching in which their meat is sold for food and their hide is sold for leather making. Another concern is competition for fish. Slender snout crocodiles eat a lot of fish, but humans also hunt these same fish, so more humans living in their range means more competition for food. These reptiles also suffer from habitat loss in which their preferred forest home is being replaced with plantations. It's worth noting, however, that there is some evidence that slender snout crocodiles can handle some amount of habitat disruption because a nest has been observed in plantation habitat.

Slender snout crocodiles mate in February to March and the female makes her nest in April. The nest is a dense pile of decaying vegetation. It works like a compost bin pile: as the plants decay, they release heat, thus keeping the eggs inside nice and warm while they incubate. The mother slender snout sticks around while her babies bake, and then helps them emerge when they hatch in July. The young crocodilians hang out with their mother until they're large enough to take care of themselves. When they hatch, they're only about 9 inches, 23 centimeters long, but they can reach up to 13 feet, 4 meters, at full size– although these massive individuals are few and far between. Most slender snout crocodiles average about 10 feet, 3 meters, long as adults.

This crocodilian’s special snout gives it the appearance of a gharial, another type of crocodilian found throughout India and Nepal. In fact, some sources actually listed the slender snout crocodile as the African gharial. These groups, however, are not closely related. When a slender snout crocodile closes its mouth, teeth on both its upper and lower jaws are visible. These are used for grabbing and holding prey. Their long snout is well-designed for reaching into small crevices where tasty fish may be hiding. Slender snout crocodiles also eat invertebrates and small amphibians, such as frogs, especially when young. They opportunistically eat mammals as well, such as rodents or even small ungulates who may venture too near the water’s edge.

Slender snout crocodiles live in densely vegetated waterways. They are most often found along forested rivers, but they also do occur in lakes. Slender snout crocodiles who live in lakes may appear more uniformly colored when compared to the blotchy patterns seen in forest dwelling individuals. They all, however, have a dark, olive-toned back, and pale yellow belly. At least as adults. The babies sport a bright orange belly with speckled limbs. A slender snout crocodile's tail makes up nearly 40% of its total length, and it can be used to trap fish along a riverbank which makes them easier to grab with their long jaws.

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