West African dwarf crocodile
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
A West African dwarf crocodile has visible teeth even with its mouth shut.
THE REAL WORLD
The real West African dwarf crocodile
- Scientific name
- Osteolaemus tetraspis
- Japanese name
- ニシアフリカコガタワニ
- Group
- Amphibians and reptiles
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Crocodilia
- Family
- Crocodylidae
- Genus
- Osteolaemus
A crocodile of western and central Africa that lives in fresh water, such as streams flowing through the rainforest.
It often spends time on land and can run quickly with a bounding, hopping motion.
By day it basks on land; at night it goes into the water to hunt prey such as shellfish, fish, and frogs.
Basic data
- Size
- Total length: 200 cm
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)
- Diet
- Shellfish, crustaceans, fish, frogs, and other animals
- Range
- Gulf of Guinea coastal countries in western and central Africa
Where the West African dwarf crocodile has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ニシアフリカコガタワニ
- 简体中文
- 侏儒鳄
- 繁體中文
- 侏儒鱷
- 한국어
- 난쟁이악어
- Español
- Cocodrilo enano africano
- Français
- Crocodile à front large
- Deutsch
- Stumpfkrokodil
- Português (Brasil)
- Crocodilo-anão
- Italiano
- Coccodrillo nano
- العربية
- تمساح قزم
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Buaya kerdil
- Русский
- Тупорылый крокодил
- Türkçe
- Cüce timsah
- ไทย
- จระเข้แคระ
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — ニシアフリカコガタワニChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the West African dwarf crocodile, look for this
- Look for the short snout and the upturned corners at the back of its mouth.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
上野動物園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the West African dwarf crocodile
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Crocodylidae
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