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| Dwarf crocodile | |
|---|---|
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Crocodyloidea |
| Family: | Crocodylidae |
| Subfamily: | Crocodylinae |
| Clade: | Osteolaeminae |
| Genus: | Osteolaemus Cope, 1861 |
| Species: | O. tetraspis |
| Binomial name | |
| Osteolaemus tetraspis Cope, 1861 | |
| Subspecies | |
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| Range of the dwarf crocodile in green | |
The dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), is an African crocodile. It is the smallest extant (living) specie of crocodile.
Dwarf crocodiles can reach an average adult length of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). The biggest recorded length for this species is 1.9 m (6.2 ft). Adult ones can weigh between 18 and 32 kg (40 and 71 lsb). The biggest females can be as heavy as 40 kg (88 lb), while the biggest males can weigh up to 80 kg (180 lb).
The dwarf crocodile is a shy and mainly nocturnal. It spends the day hiding in pools or burrows. Although, it occasionally may be active during the day.
