Head to head
Siamese Crocodile vs Philippine Crocodile
Siamese Crocodile
VS Philippine Crocodile
The Siamese crocodile and Philippine crocodile are two Critically Endangered freshwater crocodiles of Asia, each reduced to remnant wild populations.
| Siamese Crocodile | Philippine Crocodile | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Crocodylus siamensis | Crocodylus mindorensis |
| Size | Grows to around 3 metres long | Large males reach around 3 metres, though most are shorter |
| Habitat | Slow rivers, swamps, lakes, and marshes | Freshwater rivers, creeks, and marshes |
| Diet | Fish, snakes, amphibians, waterbirds, and small mammals | Fish, frogs, snakes, small mammals, and birds |
| Distinctive feature | A relatively broad snout and a ridge of bony bumps behind the eyes | Found only in the Philippines, and nowhere else in the world |
| Rescue efforts | Protection and breeding programmes keep the last wild groups going, with strongholds in Cambodia | A community-based programme in Luzon rewards villagers for protecting nests, and young crocodiles are raised and released |
| Wild population | Fewer than a thousand wild individuals in scattered sites, threatened by hunting, habitat loss, and hybridisation | Fewer than a hundred mature individuals, mostly in the northern Sierra Madre of Luzon |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered, and decreasing | Critically Endangered, and decreasing |
Siamese Crocodile vs Philippine Crocodile: common questions
Which crocodile is rarer?
The Philippine crocodile, with fewer than a hundred mature individuals in the wild, compared with fewer than a thousand Siamese crocodiles.
How do villagers help the Philippine crocodile?
A community-based programme in Luzon rewards villagers for protecting nests, and young crocodiles are raised and released into protected sites.
Why are pure Siamese crocodiles rare?
Many farmed Siamese crocodiles have been crossed with other crocodile species, so pure wild animals are very rare.