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 |
No species of the same family or order lives in Niokolo-Koba National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a West African Crocodile sighting in Niokolo-Koba National Park on a given day, based on 271 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.
January and November
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a West African Crocodile in Niokolo-Koba National Park on a given day, against about 20% in December, the lowest month. Those are among Niokolo-Koba National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 300 mm in August. July to October 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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate West African Crocodile sightings, Niokolo-Koba National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Awash National Park (Ethiopia, about 60%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the West African Crocodile is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Niokolo-Koba National Park (271 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.
