Osteolaemus
Dwarf crocodile
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Crocodylidae
Subfamily: Osteolaeminae
Genus: Osteolaemus
Cope, 1861
Type species
Osteolaemus tetraspis
Cope, 1861
Species

2, see text.

Osteolaemus is a genus of crocodiles.[1][2][3] They are small, secretive crocodiles that occur in wetlands of West and Middle Africa. They are commonly known as the African dwarf crocodiles.[2] Unlike other crocodiles, Osteolaemus are strictly nocturnal.[3]

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.[1]

ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Osteolaemus osborni Schmidt, 1919Osborn's dwarf crocodileDemocratic Republic of Congo
Osteolaemus tetraspis Cope, 1861dwarf crocodile, African dwarf crocodile, broad-snouted crocodile, bony crocodileWest and Middle Africa
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Osteolaemus.

Molecular data suggest that Osteolaemus tetraspis consists of two lineages that would warrant recognition as distinct species.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Osteolaemus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 3 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Eaton, Mitchell J.; Martin, Andrew; Thorbjarnarson, John & Amato, George (2009). "Species-level diversification of African dwarf crocodiles (genus Osteolaemus): A geographic and phylogenetic perspective". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 50 (3): 496–506. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.11.009.
  3. 1 2 Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. pp. 550–552. OCLC 839312807.
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