They are many different types of crocodiles some still exist and some are extinct in this article we are going to look at the different types of crocodiles.
Crocodile Species Distribution:
There are 24 different species of crocodiles, with 19 known subspecies. These creatures live in the fresh and saltwater regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands. They inhabit nearly every part of the world now that their environments are protected with laws in place to stop poaching and other devastation of their habitats.
Different Types of Crocodiles
Salt water Crocodiles:
As the name suggests saltwater crocodiles live in saltwater habitats and brackish swamps. They are natives of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Solomon Islands. These species can live in freshwater but prefer saltwater shores to life in freshwater rivers and lakes. They are excellent swimmers.
Their skin is rough, with a sandpaper-like texture. The males of this species can reach as much as 20 feet long with an average weight of more than 2,200 pounds! they commonly hunt for turtles, crabs, fish, and sometimes birds.
American Crocodile:
The American crocodile is a freshwater species that live in the United States (Florida) and Canada (Ontario). The males reach a length of about 20 feet with an average weight of about 1000 pounds.
They feed on fish, small mammals, birds, and occasionally turtles or other crocodiles. There is only a single population left in the wild, which was estimated at more than 1000 individuals. They are not considered to be endangered but they are protected by law in the United States.
Nile Crocodile:
The Nile crocodile is a freshwater type of crocodile that is found in Africa (Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Dem. Rep., Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia Gabon, Ghana, Kenya Liberia Mali, Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Senegal South Africa São Tomé and Príncipe Tanzania Togo Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe).
The males reach lengths of as much as 20 feet with an average weight of more than 2,200 pounds! they are native to East Africa. They primarily feed on fish and mammals, can also prey on birds, crossing zebras, baby hippos, and other animals that come their way, Nile crocodiles are extremely aggressive and can live up to 60 years.
Mugger Crocodile:
The mugger crocodile is a freshwater type of crocodile that is found in the southern parts of India, Pakistan and sri Lanka. This species of crocodile can grow up to 16 feet long with an average weight of more than 270 pounds! they are native to India.
These creatures have a very incredible hunting technique since they don’t need to swim but only follow their prey as they walk! They have been described as super predators because of their ability to stalk an animal and kill faster, they are incredibly great swimmers but prefer to be on land in most cases
How many types of Crocodiles exist?
There are 24 different species of crocodiles, with 19 of them being extinct. There are 15 species in the subfamily Crocodylinae and 5 species in the subfamily Crocodylidae.
Of all the crocodiles, the saltwater crocodile has undergone the most drastic change in morphology which is why they are now considered to be a different genus from all other crocodile groups.
Conclusion
Crocodiles since the age of dinosaurs have been around for millions of years. They still exist today but some are extinct in different parts of the world. No matter what type of crocodile it is, they all have different characteristics and are environmentally friendly animals that can be kept in captivity with the right instructions and care.
Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
