The dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), also known as the African dwarf crocodile, broad-snouted crocodile (a name more often used for the Asian mugger crocodile) or bony crocodile, is an African crocodile that is also the smallest extant (living) species of crocodile.

Characteristics

Dwarf crocodiles attain a medium adult length of 1.5 m (4.9 ft), though the maximum recorded length for this species is 1.9 m (6.2 ft). Adult specimens typically weigh between 18 and 32 kg (40 and 71 lb), with the largest females weighing up to 40 kg (88 lb) and the largest males weighing 80 kg (180 lb). This makes it the smallest living crocodile species, although the Cuvier's dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus), a member of the family Alligatoridae, is smaller at up to about 1.7 m (5.6 ft). If the Congo dwarf crocodile (O. osborni) is recognized as a valid species, it would be both the smallest crocodile and the smallest crocodilian since it does not surpass 1.2 m (3.9 ft). Adults are all dark above and on their sides, while the underside is yellowish with black patches. Some individuals living in the caves of Abanda, Gabon, displayed orange patches, apparently due to alkaline bat guano that erodes the skin of the crocodile. Juveniles have a lighter brown banding on body and tails and yellow patterns on the head.

Biology and behaviour

The dwarf crocodile is a timid and mainly nocturnal reptile that spends the day hidden in pools or burrows, although it occasionally may be active during the day. Foraging is mainly done in or near the water, although it is considered to be one of the most terrestrial species of crocodilian and may expand the feeding pattern to land in extensive forays, especially after rains.

Dwarf crocodiles are generalist predators and have been recorded feeding on a wide range of small animals such as fish, crabs, frogs, gastropods, insects, lizards, water birds, bats and shrews. In a study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the primary food item was fish, and in a study in Nigeria the primary food items were gastropods and crabs. In the Congo there is a level of seasonality in its diet, changing from fish in the wet season to crustaceans in the dry season, when fish are less available. Plant material has also been found in the stomach of dwarf crocodiles, but it is suspected that this is ingested by accident. They can survive for relatively long periods without food. During the dry season, dwarf crocodiles often retreat to deep holes.

True to its solitary, nocturnal nature, a dwarf crocodile digs out a burrow in which to hide and rest during the day, which can sometimes have a submerged entrance. An individual lacking the right conditions to do so usually lives between tree roots that hang over the ponds where it lives.

Distribution

The Dwarf crocodile is an African reptile. The area of its distribution stretches from sub-Saharan regions to west-central Africa, from southern Senegal to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reaching as south as northern Angola. The primary habitat of the Dwarf crocodile is rainforest. The reptile occurs in tropical lowland regions, where the animal inhabits swamps with dense vegetation, slow flowing currents and rivers. In addition, the Dwarf crocodiles are sometimes found in savannah pools.

Population

In some areas of their natural range, the animals are threatened by local people, who hunt the crocodiles for their meat. On the other hand, increased human activity throughout the area of their natural habitat is another serious concern to the population of these reptiles. The Dwarf crocodiles are threatened by the development of human settlements within their home range. They are exposed to alteration and loss of habitat due to forest clearance for the timber industry as well as invasion of agricultural plantations such as palm oil. In addition, the clearance of their rainforest habitat in order to produce grazing areas for livestock, has sharply decreased the area of their distribution, particularly because these animals are not welcome by farmers, who fear for their livestock.

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