Slender Snouted Crocodiles in Captivity

hudson111

hudson111

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
As far as I know in the US:

  1. Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
  2. Kansas City Zoo
  3. St. Augustine Alligator Farm
  4. San Diego Zoo
  5. ABQ Biopark
  6. Zoo Atlanta
 
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From Crocodilians in American Zoos

Mecistops cataphractus (West African slender-snouted crocodile)
  1. ABQ BioPark Zoo (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
  2. Busch Gardens Tampa (Tampa, Florida)
  3. Kansas City Zoo (Kansas City, Missouri)
  4. Oregon Zoo (Portland, Oregon)
  5. Maryland Zoo (Baltimore, Maryland)
  6. Reptile Lagoon (Hamer, South Carolina)
  7. San Diego Zoo (San Diego, California)
  8. St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (St. Augustine, Florida)
  9. Zoo Atlanta (Atlanta, Georgia)
 
According to CITES, two West African slender-snouted crocodiles were sent from the Netherlands to Brazil in 1994 for commercial purposes.
 
All pictures of slender-snouteds in Europe so far that I have seem are West-African specimens, but for some zoos (Sigean (France) which has juveniles and Protvin (Czechia), Sosto Zoo (Hungary), Zoopark im. A.S.Popova (Russia) and Welt der Reptilien - Der Zoo (Germany) for which I didn't directly found pictures) I couldn't confirm this yet.
 
Jarne said:
All pictures of slender-snouteds in Europe so far that I have seem are West-African specimens, but for some zoos (Sigean (France) which has juveniles and Protvin (Czechia), Sosto Zoo (Hungary), Zoopark im. A.S.Popova (Russia) and Welt der Reptilien - Der Zoo (Germany) for which I didn't directly found pictures) I couldn't confirm this yet.
Click to expand...
Positive on no hybrids?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Positive on no hybrids?
Click to expand...
Since both species are spatially separated by the highlands in Cameroon, we can exclude any hybrids along wild-caught specimens. That leaves us with three institutions who have bred:

I know that the pair in Blijdorp are both Western, so any offspring born at Emmen are pure as well.

La Planète des Crocodiles has offspring of Emmen, so their second generation offspring is pure as well.

Which leaves us with Biotropica which as bred with their group, and Sigean which has juvenile offspring from them by extent. I haven't seen pictures of all animals in their group. But considering at least 4 of them are of the Western species and that their animals came as one group from Pierelatte, I think it's safe to presume for now that all 7 animals originate from the same wild source.
 
These are all the individuals I know off in Europe, note that this list is likely incomplete:

Czechia
  • Zoo Dvur Kralove
    • 0.1.0 Probably M. cataphractus
  • Zoo Ostrava
    • 0.2.0 M. cataphractus
    • 0.1.0 Mecistops sp.
  • Krokodýlí zoo (Protivin)
    • 0.0.X Mecistops sp.
Denmark
  • Krokodille Zoo (Eskilstrup)
    • 1.0.0 M. cataphractus

France
  • Alligator bay (Beauvoir)
    • 0.0.X - 0.0.0 Mecistops sp. (listed on ZTL, without source)
  • La Planète des Crocodiles (Civeaux)
    • 1.1.X M. cataphractus (pair + offspring)
  • Zoo de la Palmyre (Les Mathes)
    • 0.0.1 Mecistops sp.
  • Safaripark Sigean
    • 0.0.X M. cataphractus (offspring from Biotropica)
  • Biotropica (Val de Reuil)
    • 1.4.X M. cataphractus
Germany
  • Welt der Reptilien - der Zoo (Beilrode - Döbrichau)
    • 0.0.X Mecistops sp.

Hungary
  • Sosto Zoo (Nyíregyháza)
    • 0.0.X Mecistops sp.

Netherlands
  • Diergaarde Blijdorp (Rotterdam)
    • 1.1.0 M. cataphractus

Russia
  • Zoopark im. A.S.Popova (Voronezh)
    • 0.0.1 Mecistops sp.

Spain
  • L'oceanographic (Valencia)
    • 0.0.1 M. cataphractus

United kingdom
  • Zoo Colchester
    • 0.1.0 M. cataphractus "Caroline"
  • Crocodiles of the World (Crawley)
    • 0.1.0 M. cataphractus
 
Protivin has 2,2 - males came from Emmen and are young, females are F1 "from France".

I think Valencia doesn´r have any of this species, their only animal came to Dvur in 2020.
 
An updated list then
Czechia
  • Zoo Dvur Kralove
    • 0.1.0 M. cataphractus
  • Zoo Ostrava
    • 0.2.0 M. cataphractus
    • 0.1.0 Mecistops sp.
  • Krokodýlí zoo (Protivin)
    • 2.2.0 M. cataphractus
Denmark
  • Krokodille Zoo (Eskilstrup)
    • 1.0.0 M. cataphractus

France
  • Alligator bay (Beauvoir)
    • 0.0.X - 0.0.0 Mecistops sp. (listed on ZTL, without source)
  • La Planète des Crocodiles (Civeaux)
    • 1.1.X M. cataphractus (pair + offspring)
  • Zoo de la Palmyre (Les Mathes)
    • 0.0.1 M. cataphractus
  • Safaripark Sigean
    • 0.0.X M. cataphractus (offspring from Biotropica)
  • Biotropica (Val de Reuil)
    • 1.4.X M. cataphractus
Germany
  • Welt der Reptilien - der Zoo (Beilrode - Döbrichau)
    • 0.0.X Mecistops sp.

Hungary
  • Sosto Zoo (Nyíregyháza)
    • 0.0.X Mecistops sp.

Netherlands
  • Diergaarde Blijdorp (Rotterdam)
    • 1.1.0 M. cataphractus

Poland
  • Wroclaw Zoo
    • 0.0.X M. cataphractus

Russia
  • Zoopark im. A.S.Popova (Voronezh)
    • 0.0.1 Mecistops sp.

United kingdom
  • Zoo Colchester
    • 0.1.0 M. cataphractus "Caroline"
  • Crocodiles of the World (Crawley)
    • 0.1.0 M. cataphractus
 
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Apparently, all individuals have been tested in Europe and confirmed as M. cataphractus.
Czechia
  • Zoo Dvur Kralove
    • 0.1.0 M. cataphractus
  • Zoo Ostrava
    • 0.3.0 M. cataphractus
  • Krokodýlí zoo (Protivin)
    • 2.2.0 M. cataphractus
Denmark
  • Krokodille Zoo (Eskilstrup)
    • 1.0.0 M. cataphractus

France
  • Alligator bay (Beauvoir)
    • 0.0.X - 0.0.0 M. cataphractus (listed on ZTL, without source)
  • La Planète des Crocodiles (Civeaux)
    • 1.1.X M. cataphractus (pair + offspring)
  • Zoo de la Palmyre (Les Mathes)
    • 0.0.1 M. cataphractus
  • Safaripark Sigean
    • 0.0.X M. cataphractus (young offspring from Biotropica)
  • Biotropica (Val de Reuil)
    • 1.4.X M. cataphractus
Germany
  • Welt der Reptilien - der Zoo (Beilrode - Döbrichau)
    • 0.0.X M. cataphractus

Hungary
  • Sosto Zoo (Nyíregyháza)
    • 0.0.X M. cataphractus

Netherlands
  • Diergaarde Blijdorp (Rotterdam)
    • 1.1.0 M. cataphractus

Poland
  • Wroclaw Zoo
    • 0.0.X M. cataphractus

Russia
  • Zoopark im. A.S.Popova (Voronezh)
    • 0.0.1 M. cataphractus

United kingdom
  • Zoo Colchester
    • 0.1.0 M. cataphractus "Caroline"
  • Crocodiles of the World (Crawley)
    • 0.1.0 M. cataphractus
 
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So, potentially this could be a functioning EEP/EAZA program?

Any information on the genetics of the population and whether these are wildcaught or from captive-born stock?
They might need to acquire some more founders!
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
So, potentially this could be a functioning EEP/EAZA program?

Any information on the genetics of the population and whether these are wildcaught or from captive-born stock?
They might need to acquire some more founders!
Click to expand...
It allready is an EEP, directed by Biotropica.

I don't know exactly how many are wild and how many are captive. Right now, somewhere between 4 and 7 founders have bred (2 males, 2 - 5 females). The founder representation right now isn't that good yet, but there is still potential to increase this. And exchange of some eggs with the US is also an option in the future.
 
Jarne said:
It allready is an EEP, directed by Biotropica.

I don't know exactly how many are wild and how many are captive. Right now, somewhere between 4 and 7 founders have bred (2 males, 2 - 5 females). The founder representation right now isn't that good yet, but there is still potential to increase this. And exchange of some eggs with the US is also an option in the future.
Click to expand...
I think that this oceanic cooperation is actually already functioning somewhat with crocodiles.
I would though support them to have direct links with West African range states for a combined in situ and ex situ plan. I think f.i. Abidjan Zoo in Cote d'Ivoire is heavily invested in this species.
 
Sorry for bringing old threads but this is a important information. Chandler's Wildlife World holds 1.0 Western Slender Snouted crocodile(Mecistops cataphractus) He plans on breeding with an old melanistic female from Justin Brown. Justin brown facility is Myakka croc farm
 
Zoo adventures said:
Sorry for bringing old threads but this is a important information. Chandler's Wildlife World holds 1.0 Western Slender Snouted crocodile(Mecistops cataphractus) He plans on breeding with an old melanistic female from Justin Brown. Justin brown facility is Myakka croc farm
Click to expand...
Interesting! Any further information on the melanistic specimen at Myakka Croc Farm?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Interesting! Any further information on the melanistic specimen at Myakka Croc Farm?
Click to expand...
I was trying to find more info about Myakka farm. There is not a lot of information about this facility. In this video at 14:11 you can see the old female black-snouted crocodile. Chandler thought the crocodile was a male but then revealed to be a female in the video that I provided on message 18. Then in Justin Brown's facility, he has 3 other females.
 
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