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Two juvenile nile crocodiles facing each other

Crocodiles

Crocodiles in this genus are believed to have changed very little in the past 20 million years. They may even have been around during the extinction of the dinosaurs. These large, aquatic reptiles tend to congregate in the slow-moving rivers and swamps of Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas - the perfect places from which to ambush prey. Many populations of the 13 living species are now endangered and protected, having come under pressure from hunting and habitat loss. It is the larger species, such as the Nile and saltwater crocodiles, that pose a real threat to humans.

Scientific name: Crocodylus

Rank: Genus

Distribution

Map showing the distribution of the Crocodiles taxa

The shading illustrates the diversity of this group - the darker the colour the greater the number of species. Data provided by WWF's Wildfinder.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the Crocodiles distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

About

Crocodylus is one of three genera from the Crocodylinae subfamily extending from the Crocodylidae family.

Established species include four extinct species:

  • † Crocodylus anthropophagus is an extinct crocodile from Plio-Pleistocene of Tanzania.
  • † Crocodylus checchiai is an extinct crocodile from Late Miocene of Kenya.
  • † Crocodylus palaeindicus is an extinct crocodile the Miocene to the Pleistocene of southern Asia.
  • † Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni is an extinct crocodile from Plio-Pleistocene of Kenya.

The 13 living species are:

  • American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus
  • Slender-snouted crocodile, Crocodylus cataphractus - studies in DNA and morphology suggest this species may be more basal than Crocodylus and therefore belongs in its own genus, Mecistops.
  • Orinoco crocodile, Crocodylus intermedius
  • Freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus johnsoni
  • Philippine crocodile, Crocodylus mindorensis
  • Morelet's crocodile or Mexican crocodile, Crocodylus moreletii
  • Nile crocodile or African crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus (the subspecies found in Madagascar is sometimes called the black crocodile)
  • New Guinea crocodile, Crocodylus novaeguineae
  • Mugger crocodile, marsh crocodile, or Indian crocodile, Crocodylus palustris
  • Saltwater crocodile or estuarine crocodile, Crocodylus porosus
  • Cuban crocodile, Crocodylus rhombifer
  • Siamese crocodile, Crocodylus siamensis
  • Desert crocodile, Crocodylus suchus
  • Crocodylus raninus (Considered as a synonym of Crocodylus porosus, its status remains unclear.)

Read more at Wikipedia

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BBC News about Crocodiles

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