In the Congo (brazzaville), it seems not uncommon to see items made of snakeskin. I've seen sandals (many times), wallet (once) and purse (once). I would not be supprised that such items are also made of crocodile skin as well in that region, and it would be worthwhile to try to confirm this, somehow.

Unfortunately, I know of no reference to confirm this at the moment, but its something to think about.

In the book ''Rites et croyances des peuples du Gabon'' (1962), Raponda-Walker and Sillans mentioned the use of crocodile parts in various traditional items, and illustrated a fan made with crocodile skin.

Have you checked professor Sture Lagercrantz's publications? I think you can find data in his "Krokodilsteine" published in the journal Tribus 1952/53 pp.400-403 and probably in his book Contribution to the Ethnography of Africa. (1950)

Thanks Ingvar, I've had a look at the two publications you mention, and the former (translated as best I and Google translate can!) is particularly useful. I had not come across the holding of crocodile stones in the mouth! There is nothing specific in Contribution to the Ethnography of Africa, but there's an interesting section on prohibitions on egg eating (domestic fowl), which is interesting I think because many Africans in East Africa told explorers they thought eating croc eggs was disgusting!

You are of course already aware of the report "Crocodiles as a resource of the Tropics" (1983, available on google book). There are also data on the use of crocodiles in local African medicine, such as El-Kamali, Folk medicinal use of some animal products in Central Sudan. Journal of ethnopharmacology 72 (2000), pp. 279–282 (if you include crocodile dung as "body parts").

Thanks, I have the El Kamali, and also papers by Ntiamoa-Baidu, Adeola, Segniagbeto and Soewu - all for West Africa. I have the book Crocodiles as a resource of the tropics, but didn't think there was anything in there on traditional usage.  I think Fritz Huchzermeyer's book on diseases etc. has some info., which I'll check out. 

Have you seen Petit's "Les Crocodiles Malgaches, leurs moeurs, leurs chasse et leur utilisation" Revue d'Histoire Naturelle Applique 6 (1925), pp. 236ff.?

Brehm's Encyclopedical Tierleben, i.e. Life of Animals is always useful when it comes to utilisation of various species. Alfred Brehm himself was a very experienced crocodile hunter. I guess the volumes are available also in English translations

No, I've not seen Petit's article, and annoyingly Oxford libraries don't have the series before the 1940s! Thanks for reminding me of Brehm's work. I will try tracking it down via the Natural History Museum in London. I've not seen any in English! 

Ah, the brilliant Natural History Museum offers downloads in English! Also of Brehm's travelogues. 

Ah, the brilliant Natural History Museum offers downloads in English! Also of Brehm's travelogues. 

Hi Simon, 

I hope your research is going on well. Let me just say this

1- many cultural groups use crocodile parts but very few document any of these, you may get more talking to traditional healers, hunters and bush meat traders because oral tradition is still a practice here as far those practices are concerned.

2- Among the bamilekes of west Cameroon, the crocodile skin is used as an ornamental on the walls of houses. I still remember one covering a side of our house wall when I grew up. wild animals are killed and eaten but the skin is kept as a reminder of the dexterity of the hunter because crocodiles are not commonly found in that hilly part of the country.

3- Yes Sandals, purses, hand bags, waist belts, hand fans, bangles are produced with crocodile skin among the Bamoun in West Cameroon and the Fulani and other arts craft men in Northern Cameroon.

A visit to the arts shop in Dscahng, Foumban, Maroua, Garoua, Ngoundere may help.There should be  some information from the recently visited Fon Palace in North west that may be useful

Thank you for immortalizing cultural anthropology

Best wishes

Aline

 Thanks very much Aline, this is a very helpful answer! The challenge of course is there are so many places I should travel to! I will start looking into this further and finding researchers in my network who are going to these places for other reasons, and ask them to look out for crocodiles and croc products. I hope to publish an article on African beliefs about crocodiles more broadly quite soon. 

You may not travel actually.

If you contact some person on ground at those places,

you get someone who agrees to buy items and send to you or send pictures to you by internet you need to verify the pics

You just have to take the risk with some funds and a bit of erroneous trust and God may bless you to make this collection without travelling. For a start, You may call these persons to ask for a favour on my behalf  in Maroua, Chancelline +23767113027, Henriette; in Dschang, Baudouin + 237653387995; Calvina +237675528113; in Foumban, Laure, +237 677534359, if they agree, you get a few items and once the rapport is established you may grow in serach.

Tell them I gave you their number and I insist they assist you because people assisted me when I was collecting my own data.

good luck

Some info on uses is now available in my new paper A cultural herpetology of the Nile crocodile in Africa. I attach a summary from the appendices. 

see also Kpera and Mensah Utilisation des produits et sous-produits de

crocodile en médecine traditionnelle au nord du

Bénin (2004) available on Researchgate (in French)

crocodiles are being traded and used medicinally in Morocco, even though they don't occur there. For an interesting paper on the uses of reptiles in Morocco in general, for traditional medicines, see  the link

http://www.ctoz.nl/vol86/nr01/a03

during fieldwork in S Africa in March 2018, I was told that crocodile belly skin is used as protection against lightning. Fat is used as an antidote to poison and to cure problems of the ears and lungs.

Kendie et al (2018) in their article 'Ethnozoological study of traditional

medicinal appreciation of animals and their products among the indigenous people of Metema Woreda, North-Western Ethiopia' found that teeth of crocodile (Crocodylus spp.) were believed to cure epilepsy - albeit with a low fidelity level. They explain: 'Fidelity levels (FL) demonstrate the percentage of respondents claiming the use of a certain animal or its product for the same ailments.' Croc body parts were also used to treat coughing, TB, teeth and rheumatism, though which croc parts are used and how applied is given scant attention: only 'drinking; anointing' are noted in a table. Items like teeth are generally worn around the neck or relevant ailing body part.

Wondering if there's any interest in a write-up of all this material?

Just found another mention but for Brazil.