“…and today we’re talking about a petite predator– relatively speaking. But more on that later.”
Slithering through the shadows of swampy secrecy, the African dwarf crocodile is a pint-sized predator with a penchant for peculiarity. This crafty critter lurks in the murky margins of rivers and wetlands, a miniature menace shrouded in mystery. Some whisper of a clan cloaked in an eerie, otherworldly hue, thriving where light dares not linger—a riddle wrapped in a reptile, if you will. So, settle in as we wade into the weirdness, like the African dwarf crocodile here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
Description of the African Dwarf Crocodile
They have a short, broad snout and heavily armored bodies with dark, mottled skin that ranges from brownish to grayish tones, providing excellent camouflage in their murky habitats.
Measure Up
Welcome to the beloved Measure Up segment. The official listener’s favorite part of the show! The part of the show when we present the animal’s size and dimension in relatable terms through a quiz that’s fun for the whole family. It’s also the part of the show that’s introduced by you when you send in audio of yourself saying, singing, or chittering the words Measure Up into ldtaxonomy at gmail dot com.
All Dogs Go to Heaven – Let’s Make Music Together Scene
Length
4.9–6.2 feet (1.5–1.9 meters) in length, with males being slightly larger than females.
- 4 ant eater tongues
- 2 go into the SpaceX Dragon Crew Freedom capsule that landed in the Gulf.
- 5 Shetland ponies by height
Weight
They weigh between 40–70 pounds (18–32 kg)
- 204 go into the freedom capsule
- 30 elephant mice
- 15.9 african bullfrogs
Fast Facts about the African Dwarf Crocodile
Habitat: They’re native to West and Central Africa, found in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and the Congo Basin. They prefer slow-moving waters such as swamps, marshes, and forested rivers, often in lowland rainforests.
Diet: These crocodiles are opportunistic feeders, eating fish, crustaceans, insects, small mammals, and amphibians. They’re primarily nocturnal hunters, relying on stealth rather than speed.
Behavior: Unlike larger crocodiles, they’re shy and reclusive, avoiding humans when possible. They’re also more terrestrial than most crocodilians, often traveling over land between water sources.
Reproduction: Females lay 10–20 eggs in mound nests made of vegetation, which they guard fiercely. The eggs incubate for about 85–105 days, and hatchlings are around 11 inches (28 cm) long.
Conservation Status: They’re listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat loss from deforestation, pollution, and hunting for their meat and skin. Exact population numbers are hard to pin down because of their secretive nature.
Unique Trait: They have a more ossified (bony) skull and body armor compared to other crocodiles, which might help protect them in their dense, tangled habitats.
Major Fact: Orange You Glad I Said Savannah?
- There’s a unique population of African dwarf crocodiles in the caves of Gabon’s Abanda region that sport a striking orange hue.
- This vibrant coloration comes from bat guano, which stains their scales as they wallow in the nutrient-rich muck of their cave dwellings.
- These crocs have adapted to a life of perpetual darkness, relying less on sight and more on their keen sense of smell and vibration detection to hunt.
- The coloration has been seen mostly in larger, older adults and less in smaller younger crocs. The theory is that they can come and go when they’re small but eventually they get too big to leave the house and instead turn into cheetos.
- Cave living offers protection from larger predators—like their beefier cousin, the Nile crocodile—who’d rather not squeeze into tight, rocky real estate.
- Their diet shifts to cave critters: bats, fish, and crustaceans, a far cry from the swampy smorgasbord of their surface-dwelling kin.
- The orange cave crocs are smaller than their outside counterparts, possibly due to limited food or the cramped quarters of their subterranean lairs.
- Isolation in caves has led to speculation about genetic divergence—One of the haplotypes – a set of genes from one of their parents – of the cave crocodiles has not been found in the outside African dwarf crocodiles.
- Living in caves reduces competition with other crocodiles, giving them a niche where they reign.
- The guano bath might also have antimicrobial perks, helping them stay healthy in a damp, dark environment.
Ending: So set up shop in your local cave system, cover yourself in bat guano, and show off your best spray tan like the African dwarf crocodile here in LDT.