Slender-snouted Crocodile
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| Slender-snouted Crocodile | ||||||||||||||||
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| Mecitops cataphractus |
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The slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) is a species of crocodile.
Slender-snouted crocodiles are native to freshwater habitats in central and western Africa. They are a medium sized crocodile and grow to about 3 to 4 meters long. They have a slender snout used for catching prey, hence their name. Their diet consists of mainly fish, amphibians and crustaceans.
Slender-snouted crocodiles begin to breed in the rainy season. The female constructs a mound nest consisting mainly of plant matter, which is sited usually on river banks. The eggs have a long incubation period, sometimes up to 110 days. This species is generally not found in groups, except during the onset of the breeding season. The female constructs a mound nest consisting mainly of plant matter. Nests are sited on the banks of rivers, and construction generally begins at the onset of the rainy season, although breeding is asynchronous even within members of one population. Has a similar, but generally shorter nesting season than that of the sympatric Osteolaemus tetraspis, which may nest further from the riverine habitat frequented by C. cataphractus. The slender-snouted crocodile lays an average of 16 (minimum 13, maximum 27) very large eggs (relative to body size) about a week after completion of the mound nest. The incubation period is long compared with most other crocodilian species, sometimes lasting over 110 days. The female remains close to the nest, but does not defend it with the same vigour as some other species of crocodilians. Once the eggs begin to hatch, and the juveniles emit their characteristic chirping, she will break open the nest and assist in the hatching process. Hatchlings then disperse across the flooded forest floor. Although losses from predators do occur (e.g. by soft-shelled turtles), they apparently are minimal, possibly accounting for the small number of relatively large eggs laid, and the long incubation period.
[edit] References
- Crocodile Specialist Group (1996). Crocodylus cataphractus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 24 November 2007. Listed as Data Deficient
- McAliley, Willis, Ray, White, Brochu & Densmore (2006). Are crocodiles really monophyletic?—Evidence for subdivisions from sequence and morphological data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39: 16-32.
