Nile Crocodiles

Nile Crocodiles, Malawi - Photo by Ismail Mia

The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is an African crocodile and the second largest extant reptile in the world, after the salt-water crocodile. The Nile crocodile is quite widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, and southern regions of the continent and lives in different types of aquatic environments such as lakes,rivers and marshlands. Although capable of living in saline environments, this species is rarely found in salt-water but occasionally inhabits deltas and brackish lakes. The range of this species once stretched northward throughout the Nile, as far north as the Nile delta. On average the Nile crocodile is between 4.1 metres (13 ft) to 5 metres (16 ft), weighing around 410 kg (900 lb). However, specimens measuring 6.1 metres (20 ft) in length and weighing 907 kg (2,000 lb) have been recorded. They have thick scaly skin that is heavily armoured.

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