03/11/2026
Australian Species Spotlight of the Week: Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) 🐊
The wet season is beginning across northern Australia, and Saltwater Crocodiles are the apex predators that rule there.
Habitat: Rivers, estuaries, mangrove-lined coastlines, floodplains and open sea across northern Australia (NT, WA and Queensland), as well as Southeast Asia and parts of the Pacific. They move freely between salt water and fresh water, and will cross hundreds of kilometres of open ocean on surface currents.
Diet: Fish, crabs, turtles, birds, water buffalo, wild pigs and kangaroos. Juveniles eat mostly insects, small fish and frogs. Large adults can go months between meals, metabolising at some of the slowest rates of any vertebrate.
Fun facts:
- Saltwater Crocodiles are the largest living reptiles on earth, with the biggest confirmed males reaching 6 to 7m long and weighing over a tonne. In the Northern Territory, males over 5m are a common occurrence
- Despite the “saltwater” name, they live in all kinds of water. Specialised salt glands in the tongue allow them to excrete excess salt, so they can shuttle between tidal rivers, freshwater billabongs, mangrove creeks and open ocean. Satellite-tagged crocs have been recorded crossing hundreds of kilometres of open sea between islands
- Mother crocs are among the most dedicated parents of any reptile. The female builds a mound nest of vegetation and soil near water, lays up to 50 eggs, guards them aggressively for the 80-day incubation, then carefully carries hatchlings to the water in her mouth. She stays with the young for weeks or months, defending them from everything from goannas to other crocodiles
Where to see them: Yellow Water Billabong in Kakadu National Park (NT), Daintree River (QLD), and East Alligator River crossings. From the safety of a boat or an elevated viewing platform only. Freshwater billabongs across the Top End often have “saltie” residents too, so never swim or stand near the water’s edge in croc country.
Status: Least Concern (IUCN)