Dwarf crocodile

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/dwarf-crocodile

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Osteolaemus tetraspis
2. What is the habitat?Freshwater swamps, marshes, floodplains, and rivers in West Africa
3. What makes the dwarf crocodile the smallest crocodile in the world?The dwarf crocodile is the tiniest living species of crocodile. It has a short, broad head and a body covered with bony plates that keep it safe.
4. Where does the dwarf crocodile live?It lives in West Africa, in swamps, marshes, floodplains, and slow rivers. It likes places with lots of plants that hide it from danger.

Crocodilia: The order of reptiles that includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials.
Osteoderms: Bony plates embedded within the dermis of the skin, providing armor.
Trophic Level: The position an organism occupies in a food chain.
Herpetologist: A scientist who studies reptiles and amphibians.