Mugger (Crocodylus palustris): habitat and range

Fun facts

GeneralIt lives in the pools of Hindu temples, where it is held sacred and fed.
It uses tools to hunt: it has been documented balancing twigs on its snout during the herons' nesting season, drawing in birds looking for nest material, one of the first cases of lure use described in a reptile.
It digs burrows several metres long into the banks to shelter from extreme heat and drought, something very few crocodilians do.
At some temples and sacred pools in India, Sri Lanka and Iran they have lived alongside local people for centuries and are fed and protected for religious reasons.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat and environment: Slow rivers, lakes, reservoirs, marshes and temple ponds of the Indian subcontinent and Iran
Size at birth: About 30 cm on hatching
Sexual maturity: 6.3 years
Gestation / incubation: 60 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 30 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/

Where to find it

Best time: From November to March in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, when it basks on the banks during the middle of the day.

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The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 18.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Mugger — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Same taxonomic family

Shares a park

How to help

The mugger is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.

It's documented in 10 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.

Mugger