^ Fauna : Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish 



The slender-snouted form lives mainly on fish. According 

 to Dr. Gadow this crocodile is probably allied in origin to one 

 of the crocodiles of the Orinoco River of northern South 

 America (C intermedius), and also to Johnston's crocodile of 

 Northern Australia. 



The Short-headed crocodile — Osteolamus — is apparently 

 more restricted in distribution over West Africa than the 

 slender-snouted type, scarcely reaching as far south as the 

 Congo. It is easily distinguished from the other crocodiles 

 by its very short broad head, turned-up nose, and much 

 smaller size, which is not known to exceed five feet in length. 



310. SHORT-HEADEU CROCODILE (OSTEoL^MUS TETRASPIS) 



Like the slender-snouted crocodile, it has bony plates on the 

 throat and belly. It lives exclusively on fish. 



On the sea-coast of Liberia the Hawksbill Turtle [Chelone 

 imbricatd) is often met with ; and although it is not liked by 

 Europeans, it is eaten by the natives. Its carapace yields the 

 tortoiseshell of commerce, so that the abundance of this animal 

 on the Liberian coast might be a source of profit if the native 

 fishermen were more enterprising. The Green or edible turtle 

 {Chelone mydas) also visits this coast very frequently. The 

 leathery turtle {Dermochelys coriacea), which is so distinct 

 from other turtles or tortoises as to be included within a separate 



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