Dwarf Crocodile Classification and Evolution

The Dwarf Crocodile is a small species of crocodilethat is natively

found in the rainforests of West Africa. The Dwarf Crocodile is the
smallest species of crocodile in the world and is also one of the most
distinctive with a short, broad snout and tough scales that cover their
entire black body (most crocodiles do not have such armoured scales
on their underside). These characteristics have led to the
Dwarf Crocodilebeing known by a number of different names including
the Broad-Snouted Crocodile, the Bony Crocodile and the
Black Crocodile. There are two recognised species of
Dwarf Crocodilewhich are the West African Dwarf Crocodile and the
Congo Dwarf Crocodile which differ slightly in not just their location,
but also in their appearance and behaviour. Although
Dwarf Crocodiles are commonly found in parts of their natural range,
their numbers in others have declined mainly due to habitat loss and
hunting.

Dwarf Crocodile Anatomy and Appearance

The Dwarf Crocodile rarely grows to more than 1.6 meters in length
with the largest known individuals reaching a maximum length of 1.9
meters. The body of the Dwarf Crocodile is black with a yellowish
underside and is protected by tough, armoured scales, which are bony
plates that not just protect it from injury but also prevent
the animal from getting burnt by the hot sun. The Dwarf Crocodile has
a number of adaptations that aid it when in the water including their
vertically flattened, muscular tail that is used to propel their bodies
when swimming and webbing between their toes which helps them to
negotiate the slippery banks. Their eyes and nostrils are located on the
top of their heads to enable the Dwarf Crocodile to both see and
breathe whilst the rest of its body is submerged, allowing it to both
watch for prey and predators almost completely hidden.

Dwarf Crocodile Distribution and Habitat

The Dwarf Crocodile is found throughout a number of different
countries in West Africaincluding Angola, Cameroon,
Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra
Leone although the populations vary drastically in number between the
regions. Dwarf Crocodiles tend to be found in slow-moving rivers in
areas of dense rainforest along with swamps, permanent pools of water
and seasonal floodplains. Despite being specially adapted to life in the
water, Dwarf Crocodiles also spend a lot of time on land where they dig
burrows in the river bank to rest during the day. They are however,
severely threatenedby the loss of their habitats throughout much of
their natural range primarily in the form of deforestation for logging, to
clear land for agriculture and make way for growing humansettlements.

Dwarf Crocodile Behaviour and Lifestyle

The Dwarf Crocodile is a nocturnal and generally solitary animal that
hunts for small preyboth in the water and on the banks in the dark.
During the day they rest in burrows which are dug into the ground of
the river bank and are accessed through entrance and exit tunnels
which can be several meters long. If however, they are unable to find a
suitable burrowing site the Dwarf Crocodile will hide amongst
submerged tree roots that hang into the water. The Dwarf Crocodile is
a cold-blooded animal meaning that it has to sunbathe to warm its
body up to give it the energy to hunt, and enter the water in order to
cool it down. When in the water, Dwarf Crocodiles sink their bodies
down below the surface so that only their eyes and nostrils are
exposed so they are able to hide from potential predators and ambush
unsuspecting prey.
Dwarf Crocodile Reproduction and Life Cycles
Dwarf Crocodiles tend to breed at the beginning of the wet season
(May - June) when a male will mate with a number of females that
share his territory. The female then builds a nest by dragging rotting
vegetation together to create a mound where she lays up to 20 white,
leathery eggs. As the vegetation decomposes it releases heat which
helps to keep the eggs warm whilst incubating. Female
Dwarf Crocodiles will fiercely guard their eggs from predators until
they hatch three months later, when the young call to her and she digs
the them out of the mound to help them escape (they are even known
to gently roll eggs that haven't yet hatched around in their mouths to
crack the shell). The mother then gently picks her young up in her
mouth and carries them down to the water ensuring that they get there
safely. Although Dwarf Crocodiles are usually independent of their
mother very quickly, some are known to stay close to her for at least a
few weeks for safety.

Dwarf Crocodile Diet and Prey

The Dwarf Crocodile is a carnivorous animal meaning that is only eats
other animals in orderto survive. Fish, birds, crustaceans, frogs and
toads make up the bulk of their diet along with the occasional
small mammal. Dwarf Crocodiles snap their strong jaws shut to catch
their prey which is secured by a powerful bite from their cone shaped,
razor-sharp teeth. Unlike a number of other animal species,
Dwarf Crocodiles continuously regrow and replace their old teeth which
are pushed out by the new ones that develop below. They are however,
unable to chew food and so must rely on tearing their prey into pieces
that can then be swallowed whole. In areas where seasonal flooding
occurs they are known to change their diet depending on the rains,
eating more fish that are readily available with the floods and feeding
more on crustaceans during the dry season.

Dwarf Crocodile Predators and Threats

Despite being a powerful predator itself, the small size of the
Dwarf Crocodile means that it is an easier target than its much larger
relatives, with other crocodiles being the biggest threat to adults. The
young and eggs however, are preyed upon by a number of
different animals including birds, mammals and other reptiles despite
the fierce guarding of them by their mother. The biggest threat though
to Dwarf Crocodiles throughout much of their natural range today is
people, primarily in the form of habitat destruction for timber and to
use the land for agriculture including creating large plantations of oil
palms. Dwarf Crocodiles are also hunted by local people in certain
areas for food, with their tough skins then being used in the making of
certain local products.

Dwarf Crocodile Interesting Facts and Features

Like other members of the crocodile family, the Dwarf Crocodile is an
ancient species that is thought to have changed very little in the last 65
million years. Their semi-aquatic nature means that they have a
number of distinctive features that help them to live and feed in the
water including a transparent third eyelid that can be closed to protect
their eyes when under the water. They have flaps of skin that can be
closed to cover the windpipe and ensure that water doesn't enter their
lungs (which means that water doesn't go into their windpipe when
they open their mouth to catch prey), along with similar flaps that
cover their nostrils and ears. People once thought that
Dwarf Crocodiles were cannibals because the mother carries the young
in a throat pouch in her mouth, to get them to the water safely.
Dwarf Crocodile Relationship with Humans
Unlike a number of their larger relatives, the tough, armoured skin of
the Dwarf Crocodilehas meant that they are not hunted so frequently as
other crocodile species, but they are often hunted for their meat by
local people in certain areas. Dwarf Crocodiles are also affected heavily
by growing levels of human activity throughout much of their natural
range as they lose their habitats to forest clearance for the timber
industry and to make way for agricultural plantations like palm oil.
Along with the growing size of local settlements, the clearance
of rainforest to produce grazing for livestock has also meant the loss
of large chunks of their once vast natural range and can cause conflict
between these reptiles and farmers that fear for their animals.

Dwarf Crocodile Conservation Status and Life Today

Today, the Dwarf Crocodile is listed by the IUCN as being
an animal that is Vulnerable in its natural environment with an
estimated 25,000 - 100,000 individuals thought to be left in the wild.
However, population data is often hard to collect and although they are
heavily exploited in certain areas, the Dwarf Crocodile still has quite a
wide distribution throughout a number of countries in West Africa. The
Dwarf Crocodile is still known to be locally abundant in some areas
including parts of Cameroon, however, there have been severe
population declines in others primarily due to the drastic loss of vast
regions of their natural habitats.