West African Slender-snouted Crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus)

The West African slender-snouted crocodile is a medium-sized species, stretching up to 13 feet, with a uniquely elongated snout, optimizing its skills in aquatic hunting. 

They inhabit freshwater bodies, existing across 18 nations in Central and West Africa. You can easily spot them during the night as they spend the day hidden near the water's edge in the shade.

Slender-snouted Crocodile, last evaluated as Data Deficient in 1996, faced significant changes in the following years, leading to concerns over its status. Evidence suggesting a split between West and Central African species underscores this issue. 

Central African species exhibit a more resilient, unified habitat, with West African counterparts fragmented due to deforestation and geology. Anthropogenic changes such as encroachment, hunting, and aridification have further damaged the population, particularly in West Africa, where some subpopulations could go extinct in the near future.

Trade in crocodile skins, habitat changes, and human intrusion since 1938 have led to the West African Slender-snouted Crocodile being listed as Critically Endangered.