The West African crocodile or desert crocodile (Crocodylus suchus) is a species of crocodile distantly related to (but often confused with) the Nile crocodile (C. niloticus). (14 Pics)

Compartir

The West African crocodile or desert crocodile (Crocodylus suchus) is a species of crocodile distantly related to (but often confused with) the Nile crocodile (C. niloticus). The crocodile inhabits Mauritania, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo. At least one C. suchus specimen also exists at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.Herodotus claimed that crocodiles inhabiting the Nile (as C. suchus did in his day) have a symbiotic relationship with certain birds like the Egyptian plover, which enter the crocodile's mouth and pick leeches that have been feeding on the crocodile's blood, but there is no evidence of this interaction actually occurring in any crocodile species, and it is most likely mythical or allegorical fiction.The people of Ancient Egypt worshiped Sobek, a crocodile-god associated with fertility, protection, and the power of the pharaoh. They had an ambivalent relationship with Sobek, as they did (and do) with C. suchus; sometimes they hunted crocodiles and reviled Sobek, and sometimes they saw him as a protector and source of pharonic power. C. suchus was known to be more docile than the Nile crocodile and was chosen by the Ancient Egyptians for spiritual rites, including mummification. A recent DNA test found that all sampled mummified crocodiles from Grottes de Thebes, Grottes de Samoun, and Haute Egypt belonged to this species.

from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocodylus_suchus