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The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats, brackish wetlands and freshwater rivers from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 1996.
Learn about the largest living reptiles on earth, their distribution, behavior, and threats. Find out how they hunt, reproduce, and interact with humans in this comprehensive guide.
May 30, 2024 · Learn about the estuarine crocodile, also known as saltwater crocodile, the largest reptile in the world. Find out its size, diet, population, threats, and conservation status.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about the largest living crocodilian, its habitat, diet, threats, and behavior. See stunning images of saltwater crocs in the wild and in captivity.
- 2 min
- True to their name, they inhabit saltwater. One of the major differences between the saltwater crocodile and other species of crocodile is its behaviour of occupying saltwater habitats.
- They’re bird-like. Despite looking like big lizards, crocodiles are from a very different lineage. It might be easier to imagine a crocodile as a relative of the dinosaurs, though they predate those, too.
- They’re the largest species of croc, and reptile! Salties are generally more rotund than their streamlined relatives, and have body shapes more like the North American alligators.
- They can travel huge distances using ocean currents. Crocs don’t like to use a lot of energy. They don’t even breathe very often. So when salties discovered ocean currents they must have been really pleased with themselves.
Learn about the largest reptile on the planet, its habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation status. Find out how saltwater crocodiles survive in seawater, communicate, and reproduce.
Learn about saltwater crocodiles in our expert guide, including where they live in the wild, what they eat and whether they really sleep with one eye open.
