researcher say they ’ve made an strange find of a crocodile that was hide right under their nozzle , when one metal money really turn out to be two .
The squad from Florida International University ( FIU ) published their finding on the slender - snouted crocodile in the journalZootaxa , naming itMecistops leptorhynchus . It ’s the first new crocodile mintage to be institute in more than 80 years , inhabiting Central Africa from Cameroon to Tanzania .
The scientists had been break down the desoxyribonucleic acid and appearing of wild and captive crocodiles in six country in Africa . But in so doing , they observe that there were two separate slender - snouted species , one native to West Africa and the other to Central Africa .
mass medium - sized , the brute gets its name from its tenacious and slender snoot . They were first described in 1824 , but living in very distant area , they have been difficult to learn . They ’re also very diffident and camouflage themselves , meaning finding them in the first place has been intemperate .
There are some differences between the animals , notesNational Geographic . Those from Central Africa have a softer and smoother visual aspect , while those from West Africa are larger , with heavier scale and fierce tegument . The former also lacks bony crests found on the latter .
Genetically it ’s thought these two crocodile vary more than 8 million days ago , separated by vent in Cameroon . The last time a novel species of crocodile was let out was back in 1935 .
But this up-to-the-minute find is n’t good news for the crocodiles . Because it suggests that the bit of West African crocodile had been grossly underestimate , and they may be hard jeopardize .
“ Recognizing the slender - snouted crocodile as really comprised of two different specie is cause for slap-up conservation headache , ” Matthew Shirley , the study ’s lead writer , toldFIU News .
“ We estimate only 10 pct of svelte - snouted crocodiles occur in West Africa , effectively diminishing its universe by 90 per centum . This makes the West African slender - snouted crocodile one of the most critically endangered crocodile species in the world . ”
The crocodile has for some clip been the least make love crocodile in the earth , so the team desire this study will bring attention to the challenges the mintage is facing . It is thought there are now only about 500 of these West African crocodiles leave in the state of nature .
