Big, armoured reptiles that ambush prey at the water’s edge across the tropics, from the 1.5 m dwarf crocodile to the saltwater crocodile, which can pass 6 m.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Saltwater and Nile crocodiles kill hundreds of people a year in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Mostly night hunters, with very good night vision that most prey lack.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Aboriginal Australians have hunted crocodiles and taken their eggs for food for thousands of years.
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Asia, Australia, Americas
HabitatRivers & lakes, Wetland, Coast
ColoursGreen, Brown
SizeHuge
Length1.5 m to over 6 m, by species
WeightOver 1,000 kg (largest saltwater)
Legs4
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for70–100 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Tropical rivers, lakes and swamps, and for the saltwater crocodile the coast, in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas. Unlike alligators, all crocodiles are sensitive to cold.
- What it eats
- Mostly fish, reptiles, birds and mammals; sometimes molluscs and crustaceans, depending on species and age.
Did you know
Strongest bite ever measured on a living animal.
The longest crocodile ever caught alive, a saltwater crocodile called Lolong, measured 6.17 m.
Often confused with
- Alligator
A crocodile’s snout is narrower and V-shaped, and its lower teeth still show when its mouth is shut. An alligator’s broad U-shaped snout hides them.
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