Dwarf crocodile

There are actually only two subspecies of dwarf crocodile – the Congo dwarf and the West African dwarf.

At Folly Farm we have a have a breeding pair of West African dwarf crocodile – our male, Bobo, and our female, Zemora. They live in our Tropical Trails exhibit which highlights the illegal trade of animals. Zemora was smuggled into the UK and seized at customs when she was a baby.

The dwarf crocodile is the smallest species of crocodile in the world, growing up to 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) in length. When compared to the largest species, the saltwater crocodile (up to 5.2m/17 feet in length), they really do dwarf in comparison!

Dwarf crocodiles can be found in the mangrove swamps, rainforests and slow moving rivers and streams of West Africa and are mostly active at night when they like to feed on small animals such as fish, insects, lizards, water birds and shrews.

Dwarf crocodiles can lay up to ten eggs at any one time. Good diggers, the females lay their eggs in mounds of soil and vegetation. The female will dutifully guard the eggs until they hatch and will continue to look after the hatchlings once in the water.

Conservation

Our crocodiles are part of a managed breeding programme as they are a vulnerable species. It is hoped that if we’re successful in breeding the baby crocodiles will be released back into the wild in Africa.