Head to head
Freshwater Crocodile vs Saltwater Crocodile
Freshwater Crocodile
VS Saltwater Crocodile
The freshwater crocodile and saltwater crocodile are the two crocodiles of northern Australia, sharing many rivers but little else.
| Freshwater Crocodile | Saltwater Crocodile | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Crocodylus johnstoni | Crocodylus porosus |
| Size | Grows to around 3 metres, much smaller than the saltwater crocodile | Males 4.3 to 5.5 metres, occasionally over 6 metres, and females 2.7 to 3.5 metres |
| Jaws | A long, narrow snout lined with many small, sharp teeth, well suited to catching fish | A bite of about 16,000 newtons, the highest recorded for any living animal |
| Diet | Mostly fish, insects, crustaceans, frogs, and small reptiles, with larger individuals taking birds and mammals | Fish, crabs, turtles, birds, pigs, buffalo, and anything else it can seize |
| Nesting | Lays eggs in holes dug into sandbanks in the dry season, timed so the young hatch with the wet season | Builds a mound of vegetation with 40 to 60 eggs, guarded by the female |
| Range | Rivers, billabongs, and gorges in northern Australia only | Coasts, estuaries, and rivers from eastern India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to northern Australia and Micronesia |
| Notable fact | Large numbers died in some rivers when invasive cane toads arrived, because the toads' toxin poisons animals that eat them | Crosses hundreds of kilometres of open sea, riding currents |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, with a stable population | Least Concern |
Freshwater Crocodile vs Saltwater Crocodile: common questions
Which Australian crocodile is dangerous?
The saltwater crocodile, which grows to over 5 metres and takes large prey, while the freshwater crocodile is shy and unlikely to attack people.
Which one eats mostly fish?
The freshwater crocodile, whose long, narrow snout is well suited to catching fish.
How did cane toads affect them?
Large numbers of freshwater crocodiles died in some rivers when cane toads arrived, because the toads' toxin poisons animals that eat them.