Head to head
Siamese Crocodile vs Saltwater Crocodile
Siamese Crocodile
VS Saltwater Crocodile
The Siamese crocodile and saltwater crocodile are two Crocodylus crocodiles of Southeast Asia, one a rare freshwater species and the other the largest living reptile.
| Siamese Crocodile | Saltwater Crocodile | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Crocodylus siamensis | Crocodylus porosus |
| Size | Grows to around 3 metres long | Males 4.3 to 5.5 metres, occasionally over 6 metres, and females 2.7 to 3.5 metres |
| Water | Lives in slow rivers, swamps, lakes, and marshes rather than the sea | Lives on coasts, estuaries, and rivers, and crosses hundreds of kilometres of open sea, riding currents |
| Diet | Fish, snakes, amphibians, waterbirds, and small mammals | Fish, crabs, turtles, birds, pigs, buffalo, and anything else it can seize |
| Nest | The female builds a mound of vegetation and soil and guards it until the eggs hatch | A mound of vegetation with 40 to 60 eggs, guarded by the female |
| Range | Once lived across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with the last strongholds in Cambodia and a few other sites | From eastern India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to northern Australia, the Solomon Islands, and Micronesia |
| Notable fact | Many farmed Siamese crocodiles have been crossed with other crocodiles, so pure wild animals are very rare | Has the highest bite force recorded for any living animal, about 16,000 newtons |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered, and decreasing | Least Concern |
Siamese Crocodile vs Saltwater Crocodile: common questions
Which crocodile is Critically Endangered?
The Siamese crocodile, which has been reduced to fewer than a thousand wild individuals in scattered sites, mostly in Cambodia.
Which one lives in the sea?
The saltwater crocodile, which lives on coasts and estuaries and can cross hundreds of kilometres of open sea.
Why is hybridisation a problem for the Siamese crocodile?
Many farmed Siamese crocodiles have been crossed with other species, so pure wild animals are very rare.