Natural Science Forum / Biology / Paleontology / March 2008

As far as I know, Khartoum is in the Sudan.

A report from a specialist group on crocodiles makes mention of current
populations
in the area of Khartoum can be found at:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/newsletter/news172a.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_crocodile
The article indexed at this link gives the current and general historical
range of the Nile
crocodile, suggesting that it once covered a much larger area extending well
beyond Khartoum.

These three searches
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22fossil+crocodile*22+sudan&btnG=Search

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=crocodylidae+fossil*+sudan&btnG=Google+Search

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22khartoum,+sudan%22+fossil+crocodile+-fuel&hl=e
n&start=30&sa=N
give various accounts of crocodile fossils which be helpful to you.

Note that the Nile divides into two branches--the White and the Blue--near
Khartoum.
The fact that a famous literary reference remarks that a dog could only
drink
from the Nile while running along its banks because of the lurking danger of
crocodile attack, affirms these animals are familiar in local annals. That
the cult of
the crocodile-headed god Sobek sprung up from the Nilotic culture centered
around Crocodilopolis in the Fayum (or Fayyum) area of Eygpt north from
Khartoum, also positively addresses your question at least for some period
of human habitation.

My surmise is that after pursuing some of these links, you will find
the historical and fossil records document a wide and rich distribution of
crocodiles in the region.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

I am again submitting this post after it has failed to show on my newsreader
for almost twelve hours. Apologies for any duplicate appearance of this
message are tendered.

As far as I know, Khartoum is in the Sudan.

A report from a specialist group on crocodiles that makes mention of current
populations in the area of Khartoum can be found at:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/newsletter/news172a.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_crocodile
The article indexed at this link gives the current and general historical
range of the Nile crocodile, suggesting that it once covered a much larger
area extending well  beyond Khartoum in the direction of your concern.

These three searches
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22fossil+crocodile*22+sudan&btnG=Search

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=crocodylidae+fossil*+sudan&btnG=Google+Search

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22khartoum,+sudan%22+fossil+crocodile+-fuel&hl=e
n&start=30&sa=N
give various accounts of crocodile fossils which will be helpful to you.

Note that the Nile divides into two branches--the White and the Blue--near
Khartoum.

The fact that a famous literary reference remarks that a dog could only
drink from the Nile while running along its banks because of the lurking
danger of
crocodile attack, affirms these animals are familiar in local annals. That
the cult of the crocodile-headed god Sobek sprung up from the Nilotic
culture centered
around Crocodilopolis in the Fayum (or Fayyum) area of Egypt north from
Khartoum, also positively addresses your question at least for some period
of human habitation.

My surmise is that after pursuing some of these links, you will find
the historical and fossil records document a wide and rich distribution of
crocodiles in the region.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey