Scientific Name

Crocodylus cataphractus

size/weight/height

Length: 10 - 13'

adaptations/coloration

Color: jaw blotched
Dorsal Scales: armour
Snout: slender; ideal for catching fish

behavior

Hunting: swims parallel to river bank • tail curved • small fish caught in shallows

reproduction/lifespan

Lifespan: 50+ year's
Eggs: 13 - 27
Nest: March - July (rainy season) • along banks small forest streams • females known to protect nest

diet

Wild: crabs, fish, frogs, insects (young), shrimp & snakes
Zoo: fish and rats. Oregon Zoo crocodiles are fed well, so they shouldn't go after birds - but if a bird falls in the pond . . .

habitat/range

tropical forest • fresh water (occasionally coastal waters) • West & Central Africa • Mauritania & Senegal to North Angola east to Zaire, Zambia, & East Tanzania

status

U.S. Endangered • CITES App I