Crocodiles in Nigeria

The main reptiles are the crocodiles and monitor lizards. In Nigeria, there are three crocodile species (Dore, 1983) the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), long snouted (C.cataphractus) and the West African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis). The Nile crocodile is the commonest with a wide distribution in rivers, lakes, creeks and mangrove swamps. The long-snouted species has more of a riverine distribution throughout the West African region while the dwarf crocodile is endemic to West African forest rivers. The commonest lizard is the Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus). It is found in rivers with stony terrain. It often drops into the water with a large splash from a basking point on top of stones and tree branches near water (Ayeni et.al., 1983). Their distribution extends to the forest zones of Nigeria but another species, Bosc's monitor lizard (Varanus exanthematicus) is found in the drier parts of the country, the Sahelian and Northern Guinea savannah to which it is limited. It has a broader head with less pattern on the skin and is hunted for its meat and leather. There are also tortoises, terrapins and snakes associated with aquatic habitats in Nigeria whose distributions, like their habitat, are more widespread during the rainy seasons.