Newly Discovered Central African Crocodile Species Has Soft Skin

Scientists have discovered a new crocodile species, one that has soft skin and is, unfortunately, very endangered. Called the Central African slender-snouted crocodile, this new species wasn't exactly unknown, only misidentified. Until now, experts had believed it to belong to its West African counterpart.

The new species was originally believed to be part of the West African crocodiles Mecistops cataphractus, but is in fact Mecistops leptorhynchus, their Central African counterpart. The separation of these two populations into two species has left the West African population low enough to meet the "critically endangered" designation.

There are some apparent physical differences between the two crocodile species, including softer skin on the newly identified species, as well as the absence of bony crests on their skulls. According to the newly published research, the split between the two species arose around 8 million years ago due to isolation caused by volcanoes.

According to Florida International University, this is the first new living crocodile species to be discovered, defined, and named in almost 85 years. Talking about the discovery is the team's lead researcher Matthew Shirley, who said:

Recognizing the slender-snouted crocodile as actually comprised of two different species is cause for great conservation concern. We estimate only 10 percent of slender-snouted crocodiles occur in West Africa, effectively diminishing its population by 90 percent. This makes the West African slender-snouted crocodile one of the most critically endangered crocodile species in the world.

SOURCE: Florida International University