Crocodile Varieties

Americas

• Four species of crocodile are native to the Americas. Crocodylus acutus, also known as the American crocodile, is one of the larger species and is prized for its high quality skin. It is described by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as "vulnerable." The Orinoco crocodile, or Crocodylus intermedius, of Colombia and Venezuela is critically endangered, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Crocodylus moreletii, or Morelet's crocodile, is a smaller species found in the freshwater habitats of Belize, Mexico and Guatemala. Crocodylus rhombifer, commonly known as the Cuban crocodile, is found in the freshwater swamps of Cuba and is easily recognizable by its yellow and black patterning.

Australia

• Crocodylus johnstoni, also known as Johnston's crocodile and the Australian freshwater crocodile, is found in the billabongs, lakes and swamps of northern Australia. This area is also home to the world's largest crocodile species, Crocodylus porosus, or the "saltie." As its name implies, the saltie lives in brackish rivers and coastal areas, and is able to travel hundreds of miles by sea. The saltie is also found in various Southeast Asian countries.

Asia

• Crocodylus mindorensis, or the Philippine crocodile, is a small, critically endangered species. The medium-size Crocodylus palustris, or mugger crocodile, lives in the slow-moving and shallow freshwater areas of India and Sri Lanka. It has the broadest snout of all crocodiles, giving it the appearance of a member of the alligator family. Crocodylus novaeguineae, or the New Guinea Crocodile, is an abundant species found in the freshwater swamps, marshes and lakes of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The Tomistoma schlegelii, or Tomistoma crocodile, is a freshwater reptile native to Indonesia and Malaysia. Crocodylus siamensis, or the Siamese crocodile, is a critically endangered species that, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, is extinct or nearly extinct in most Southeast Asian countries except Cambodia.

Africa

• The Crocodylus niloticus, or Nile crocodile can live for 70 to 100 years and is one of the largest of all crocodilians. Osteolaemus tetraspis, or the West African dwarf crocodile, grows to a maximum size of about 6 feet. Crocodylus cataphractus has a narrow snout that has given it the common name of the African slender-snouted crocodile. It is found in both the fresh and saline waters of west and central Africa.