Mecistops cataphractus

The West African slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) is a critically endangered species of crocodile from Africa. It is one of five species of crocodile in Africa, the other four being the Central African slender-snouted, Nile, West African and dwarf crocodiles. The slender-snouted crocodile (M. cataphractus) was thought to be distributed across west Africa and into central Africa but the central African species has been separated as the Central African slender-snouted crocodile (M. leptorhynchus) based on studies in 2014 and 2018 that indicated that both were distinct species. The name cataphractus is retained for the West African species as that species was described first based on specimens from western Africa. The two species diverged about 6.5-7.5 mya, living in different river drainage zones that were geographically separated from each other by the Cameroon Line. The genus name Mecistops is most probably derived from the Ancient Greek words μήκιστ (mēkist) meaning 'longest' and ὄψις (ópsis) meaning 'aspect' or 'appearance'. The species name cataphractus is thought to be derived from the Greek word κατάφρακτος (katáphraktos) meaning 'armoured' or 'shielded'.