The West African slender-snouted crocodile, Mecistops cataphractus, is a critically endangered species found in the rainforests of West and Central Africa. Distinguished by its narrow snout adapted for catching fish, it inhabits rivers, streams and swamps within dense forest zones.
The species faces severe population decline due to habitat loss and hunting pressure across its fragmented range. Its preference for undisturbed forest waterways makes it particularly vulnerable to logging and agricultural conversion, while its reclusive nature has historically made population assessment difficult.
It appears in Field Notes: A rare crocodile in Côte d’Ivoire, five Himalayan pit vipers.
