Crocodylus suchus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The West African crocodile, desert crocodile, or sacred crocodile (Crocodylus suchus) is a species of crocodile related to, and often confused with, the larger Nile crocodile (C. niloticus). The species was named by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1807, who discovered differences between the skulls of a mummified crocodile and those of Nile crocodile (C. niloticus). However, this new species was long afterwards regarded as a synonym of the Nile crocodile. The advent of DNA analysis would validate Saint-Hilaire's findings; a 2003 study proposed the resurrection of C. suchus, and several other studies conducted between 2011 and 2015 supported Crocodylus suchus as a valid species.
Despite the long history of confusion, genetic testing has revealed that this species and the Nile crocodile are not particularly close: the closest relatives of the Nile crocodile are the Crocodylus species from the Americas, while the West African crocodile diverged before their common ancestor did so; this species is basal to the clade of Nile and New World crocodiles.
Below is a cladogram based on a 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates simultaneously using morphological, molecular (DNA sequencing... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 2 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ouagadougou | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | |
| 2 | Serrekunda | 🇬🇲 Gambia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basel Zoo | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 2 | Copenhagen Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 3 | Dublin Zoo | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 4 | Bioparque Estrella | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Safari World | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Kano Zoo | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 7 | Explorer Village | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 8 | Abidjan zoo | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | |
| 9 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 11 | Kumasi Zoo | 🇬🇭 Ghana | |
| 12 | La Ferme aux crocodiles | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Jardin zoologique de la ville de Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 14 | Birds Paradise | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 15 | Crocoparc Agadir | 🇲🇦 Morocco | |
| 16 | Gambia Reptile Farm | 🇬🇲 Gambia | |
| 17 | St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Two Oceans Aquarium | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 19 | Aquatis | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 20 | Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Audu Bako Zoo | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 22 | Imo State Zoological Garden | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 23 | Parc animalier de Sarakawa | 🇹🇬 Togo |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a West African Crocodile sighting in Awash National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a West African Crocodile in Awash National Park on a given day, against about 30% in February, July and September–October, the lowest months. April–June, August and December have too few records to rate.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most West African Crocodile sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate West African Crocodile sightings, Awash National Park ranks 2nd at about 60%. The best odds are in Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal, about 70%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the West African Crocodile is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Awash National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
