Fun Slender-snouted Crocodile Facts For Kids

No, they are not the Pinocchios of the animal kingdom, but they do have pretty long snouts for an average crocodile! The slender-snouted crocodiles are nothing but fun to be around. Their stealth and camouflage skin is definitely what makes them interesting. The senses of these reptiles are top-notch, they have sharp sight, a strong sense of smell, and can hear exceptionally well.

These genus of crocodiles are mainly to central and west Africa, so it wouldn’t actually be wrong to call them the African slender-snouted crocodiles. These reptiles find their homes usually in rivers and lakes, but sometimes you might even spot a few lurking on the salty shorelines.

These African crocodiles stealthily swim near to their prey, parallel to the banks of the river, or along with the flow of water. Once it gets close, it curves its tail in a flash, thus trapping fish and other small crustaceans and devours them.

If you like this article, you might also like the desert tortoise and the gharial.

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What type of animal is a Slender-Snouted Crocodile?

The slender-snouted Crocodile is a type of crocodile which is currently listed as Critically Endangered.

What class of animal does a Slender-Snouted Crocodile belong to?

The long-snouted crocodile belongs to the Reptilia class.

How many Slender-Snouted Crocodiles are there in the world?

A rough estimate of about 100o-20,00o crocodiles of this type are said to be remaining.

Where does a Slender-Snouted Crocodile live?

Slender-snouted crocodiles are typically found in tropical rainforests.

What is a Slender-Snouted Crocodile's habitat?

Slender-snouted crocodiles are mainly found in freshwater. This usually includes rivers and lakes. However, they are sometimes also found in minimally concentrated saltwater bodies. These reptiles are easy to be found in the deep forests of West Africa and Central Africa. They also prefer highly vegetated bodies of water which helps them camouflage from predators as well as aiding them in getting good prey.

Who do Slender-Snouted Crocodiles live with?

Slender-snouted crocodiles are usually lone rangers, surviving on their own for the majority of the year, except during the breeding seasons. They come out for breeding in the months of February and March, during which they find a mate for themselves.

How long does a Slender-Snouted Crocodile live?

The African slender-snouted crocodile's lifespan is around 45-55 years.

How do they reproduce?

In the first quarter of the year, the slender-snouted crocodiles come out to find a suitable mate to breed. The crocodiles swim around their mates and occasionally maintain body contact to attract their partners. The female may also swim away, waiting for the male to chase her, and they continue maintaining body contact after catching up. The male then places his tail under the female’s body to mark the beginning of mating.

In early April the expectant mother begins building a warm, mound nest with wet leaves, twigs, and other vegetation she finds on the riverbanks, which will protect her hatchlings. A female crocodile lays an average of 13 to 27 large eggs. As the contents of the nest begin to decay, it heats up slowly, which in turn keeps the eggs warm. Throughout the time of the incubation of the eggs, the mother stays close to her offspring, keeping an eye on other predators.

The eggs hatch around the month of July, and the mother croc slowly pulls the little hatchlings from their shells.

What is their conservation status?

Unfortunately, this African crocodile has been listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

What do Slender-Snouted Crocodiles look like?

The slender-snouted crocodiles are known to have leathery bodies, with colors varying from brown to ash green, or even dark green. An African crocodile will often sport large black patches on its body. These colors help them blend perfectly with the surrounding vegetation and algae floating in the waters. The bellies of these crocs have a soft yellow creamy hue, which again makes it a more difficult for underwater creatures to see the big crocodile approaching them. They also have three or four rows of scales running down their backs, while the other types of crocodiles usually have only two!

Even with their bodies submerged underwater, their nose, eyes, and ears are on top of their head, improving their attack strategies. As their name goes, these crocodiles have a slender, long snout that combines both the nose and mouth of the croc. Inside this long snout are 62-70 sharp teeth, all ready to tear apart the prey it feeds upon. The crocodiles also have an added bonus with the long snout - it helps them reach narrow crevices and small holes to pull out their prey!

How cute are they?

We would not categorize them as cute, fascinating though they are.

How do they communicate?

In situations where the crocodiles sense a threat, they cough and hiss, as well as adopt bellowing vocals to alert others of their kind. Once their little hatchlings break their shells open, they make high-pitched chirps and squeaks to announce their arrival to their mothers.

How big is a Slender-Snouted Crocodile?

Their height is pretty small, about the height of an average cat. However, the length of these crocodilians equals about eight German shepherd dogs kept in a straight line horizontally!

How fast can a Slender-Snouted Crocodile move?

Due to their enormous bodies, these crocodilians do not move too fast. They are known to keep a stealthy pace so that they can ambush their prey and grasp it within their sharp, spiky teeth. They are also known to have the ability to climb trees!

How much does a Slender-Snouted Crocodile weigh?

This crocodile weighs about 276-717 lb (125-325 kg)!

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male crocodile is called a bull, whereas the females are known as cows.

What would you call a baby Slender-Snouted Crocodile?

The baby slender-snouted crocodiles are known as hatchlings.

What do they eat?

The African slender-snouted crocodile's diet comprises mainly of aquatic life, which includes fishes, amphibians such as frogs, crustaceans like shrimps, and crabs. The adult crocodiles also feed on aquatic snakes, small birds, turtles, reptiles, insects, and even small mammals who visit the water bodies to quench their thirst.  

We are yet to know how much the African slender-snouted crocodile eats in a year, however, an average crocodile munches down about 2 lb of meat a day, and has only about 50 full meals in a year!

Are they poisonous?

No, this crocodilian family is not venomous.

Would they make a good pet?

We definitely do not think these crocodiles would make a good pet - maintaining and housing this big animal might pose problems!

Did you know...

The duration of the incubation period for the long-snouted crocodilians is longer than other crocodile types, sometimes extending over 110 days. The gender of the hatchlings is actually determined by the surrounding temperature of the nest. The male crocs are produced in a temperature range of 31-33 °C, whereas the female ones are produced within temperatures ranging between 28-31 °C. As soon as the little hatchlings break open from their eggs in the nest, they begin chirping loudly to get their mommy’s help to get out of their shells.

Different types of Crocodile

The American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus, is one of the larger ones among the crocodilian species. They are usually found everywhere throughout the waters of the Caribbean Basin.  They sport a greyish hue and have a snout which is in the shape of the letter V, and prefer brackish water.

The Crocodylus johnstoni, commonly known as the freshwater crocodile, is found mainly in the northern regions of Australia. These are smaller crocs with a long, narrow snout. Their bodies are of light brown shade with darker bands at the tail. As their names suggest, these crocs prefer freshwater sources.

The Philippine crocodile cannot be found anywhere other than the Philippines, which is a smaller species when compared to its fellow crocs. A proud owner of golden brown skin, the hue of these crocodiles darkens as they grow older. These crocs are usually spotted in fresh water bodies.

Probably the most aggressive of all, the Nile crocodile is among the largest ones of this family. The Crocodylus niloticus is native to the sub-Saharan regions of Africa. They have a broad snout and a dark bronze body, which gets darker as they grow older.

The New Guinea crocodile, scientifically referred to as Crocodylus novaeguineae, is found mainly on the New Guinea islands. They are considerably smaller crocs and have a greyish brown hue with brown or black marks on their tail. These crocodiles also have a narrow snout, which is in the shape of the alphabet V.

Mugger crocodiles are found mainly in the Indian subcontinent and are of medium size. The Crocodylus palustris has a very broad snout and is often mistaken for alligators. Their body scales' color varies from dark grey to dark brown.

Saltwater crocodiles are located throughout Northern Australia, Southeast Asia, and the surrounding waters. Crocodylus porosus is the largest of all living reptiles, as well as the most aggressive. They sport a pale yellow body with black stripes at a younger age but later have dark green skin. They have a very broad snout.

The Crocodylus rhombifer, popularly known as the Cuban crocodile, is found only on the Cuban Isle of Youth and the Zapata Swamp. Though considerably small, they are quite aggressive. Their colors are vibrant with pebbled scales.

Osteolaemus tetraspis, also called the Dwarf crocodile is mainly found in the Western African regions. As their name goes, they are the smallest of all their crocodile cousins. The adults are usually with blackish skin, whereas the younger ones are of light brown shades.

Why are Slender-Snouted Crocodile endangered?

The West African slender snouted crocodile population has been declining rapidly. The crocodiles are mainly hunted down for their meat and leathery skin. This would be used in making various apparel products such as purses, belts, shoes, bags, and a lot more! Furthermore, habitat loss due to deforestation and industrial revolution has been causing problems for them. Humans also do excessive fishing, which cuts down on the available marine life these crocodiles can prey on. The little eggs are also in danger, with turtles coming by and biting them away, however, this threat is very minimal. Extreme temperatures and droughts are also some of the problems contributing to its early decline. The conservation of the population of these crocodiles must be taken into account.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles including the sea snake and the copperhead snake.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our slender snouted crocodile coloring pages.