Osteolaemus

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title: "Osteolaemus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["crocodylidae", "reptile-genera", "crocodilians-of-africa", "taxa-named-by-edward-drinker-cope"] description: "Genus of crocodiles" topic_path: "general/crocodylidae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteolaemus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus of crocodiles ::

| image = Crocodile nain aquarium porte dorée Paris.JPG | image_caption = Dwarf crocodile | taxon = Osteolaemus | authority = Cope, 1861 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = 2, see text. | type_species = Osteolaemus tetraspis | type_species_authority = Cope, 1861

Osteolaemus (from Ancient Greek όστεον (ósteon), meaning "bone", and λαιμός (laimós), meaning "throat") is a genus of crocodiles. They are small, secretive crocodiles that occur in wetlands of West and Middle Africa. They are commonly known as the African dwarf crocodiles. Unlike other crocodiles, Osteolaemus are strictly nocturnal.

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.

|name=Congo dwarf crocodile |binomial=Osteolaemus osborni |image=File:Osteolaemus osborni 88103967.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt= |authority-name=Schmidt|authority-year=1919 |authority-not-original= |range= Congo River basin of Central Africa |range-image= |range-image-size=180px |size= |habitat= |hunting= |iucn-status= |population= |direction= |subspecies=

|name=dwarf crocodile, African dwarf crocodile, broad-snouted crocodile, bony crocodile |binomial=Osteolaemus tetraspis |image=File:Osteolaemus tetraspis - Karlsruhe Zoo 02.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt= |authority-name=Cope|authority-year=1861 |authority-not-original=yes |range= West Africa and Ogooué River basin of Central Africa |range-image=File:The range of the African Dwarf crocodile.png |range-image-size=180px |size= |habitat= |hunting= |iucn-status= VU |population= |direction= |subspecies=

: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.

References

References

1. (2009). "Species-level diversification of African dwarf crocodiles (genus ''Osteolaemus''): A geographic and phylogenetic perspective". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
2. {{NRDB genus
3. (2014). "Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles". Academic Press.

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