{"id":20897,"date":"2022-09-29T17:00:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T15:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=2041"},"modified":"2022-09-29T17:38:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T15:38:14","slug":"saltwater-crocodile-guide-diet-and-where-they-live-in-the-wild","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/saltwater-crocodile-guide-diet-and-where-they-live-in-the-wild\/","title":{"rendered":"Saltwater crocodile guide: diet and where they live in the wild"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Sarah McPherson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 29 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Saltwater crocodiles are one of the world\u2019s most famous and deadliest predators. Just the thought of them\u00a0 lurking under the water is enough to give you the shivers.<\/p>\n

Learn about more about saltwater crocodiles in our expert guide, including whether crocodiles really sleep with one eye open.<\/p>\n

How big are saltwater crocodiles?<\/h2>\n

Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus<\/em>), aka \u2018salties\u2019 or estuarine crocodiles, are enormous creatures and the world\u2019s largest living reptiles. The average male is 5m in length and weighs around 500kg, while females are significantly smaller, with the average female saltwater crocodile measuring a little under 3m in length and weighing less than 100kg.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the biggest saltwater crocodile ever found?<\/h3>\n

The largest saltwater crocodile ever recorded was around 6.3m long, but individuals of up to 7m have probably lived in the past. It\u2019s possible that such large crocodiles no longer exist due to extensive hunting of the largest specimens. These huge male salties are estimated to have weighed a staggering 1500-2000kg.<\/p>\n

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A large saltwater crocodile. \u00a9 Flat41\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Can a human outrun a crocodile?<\/h2>\n

The short answer is yes. \u201cMost crocodiles can achieve 12\u201314kph for short periods,\u201d says crocodile specialist Adam Britton, \u201cwhich is slower than a fit human can run. So if you\u2019re in reasonable shape, you could definitely outrun a croc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crocodiles have three main types of locomotion: the belly-crawl, used over mud; the high\u00a0walk, in which the legs push the body up off the ground;\u00a0and the \u2018gallop\u2019, where they bound like a rabbit. \u201cAncient croc-like creatures likely galloped after prey on land, but most modern crocodiles only gallop to escape danger,\u201d says Adam, \u201ctaking prey by surprise launches from the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Saltwater crocodiles have large teeth and the most powerful bite force of any living animal. \u00a9 John Miles\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Where do saltwater crocodiles live?<\/h2>\n

Saltwater crocodiles have a huge range that extends from northern Australia to eastern India and South-east Asia. As their name suggests, saltwater crocodiles are able to live in coastal habitats, but they are comfortable in freshwater rivers as well.<\/p>\n

These huge reptiles are so well adapted to life in saltwater that they are able to spend days or even weeks at sea, drifting and swimming hundreds of kilometres and possibly hunting en route.<\/p>\n

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Saltwater crocodile swimming in the open sea off Queensland, Australia. \u00a9 Reinhard Dirscherl\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

What makes a saltwater crocodile male or female?<\/h2>\n

The temperature of the nest in which eggs are laid determines the sex of the offspring. Lower incubation temperatures produce mostly females; higher temperatures mostly males.<\/p>\n

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A large saltwater crocodile in Borneo. \u00a9 Caroline Pang\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

How long do crocodiles live?<\/h2>\n

Saltwater crocodiles have long lifespans, with many living to more than 65 years, longer than any other crocodile species. It\u2019s possible that some saltwater crocodiles may live for over a century, but this has never been verified in the wild. In captivity, there have been several reports of crocodiles living to be over 100 years old.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, infant mortality is extremely high in saltwater crocodiles due to extensive predation, and only 1% of newborn salties will survive to adulthood.<\/p>\n