Crocodylus suchus was named in the nineteenth century, then folded into Crocodylus niloticus for over a century. Molecular studies published from 2003 onward found two deeply divergent lineages within what had been called the Nile crocodile, and in 2011 the West African form was reinstated as a distinct species.
The historical implication was striking. DNA recovered from Egyptian crocodile mummies matched C. suchus rather than C. niloticus, consistent with classical accounts describing temple crocodiles handled by priests. A smaller and less aggressive species is a more plausible candidate for animals kept and fed in temple pools.
The species also persists in remarkable places. Isolated populations survive in gueltas, permanent rock pools in Mauritania and the Ennedi plateau of Chad, remnants of a wetter Sahara that shelter in caves during the dry season. These populations are small and vulnerable. The species has not been separately assessed by the IUCN, and its full range boundaries with the Nile crocodile are still being mapped.