One of the 10 crocodiles on WAnimals
Reptiles · Crocodilia · Crocodylidae
Freshwater Crocodile
Crocodylus johnstoni
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
Only 1 hatchling in 100 reaches adulthood, among the highest juvenile mortality documented in any crocodilian, mostly through eggs being eaten.
Weight
40 kg – 100 kg
Size
2.1 m – 3 m
Lifespan
70 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- Only 1 hatchling in 100 reaches adulthood.
- It can reach 29 km/h both on land and in water.
- It is rarely a danger to people, unlike the saltwater crocodile.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with osteoderms (crocodilian reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Freshwater rivers, creeks and billabongs of northern Australia, generally away from estuaries and coastal water
- Birth weight
- Exact weight at hatching not found as a precise figure
- Size at birth
- Precocial at hatching
- Sexual maturity
- Female: 11-20 years (~1.2-1.5 m) | Male: 16-20 years (~1.68 m)
- Gestation / incubation
- 65-95 days (the nest temperature decides the sex)
- Litter / clutch size
- 4 to 30 eggs per clutch (most commonly 13)
Sources consulted: Dimensions.com; A-Z Animals; Caversham Wildlife Park; IUCN CSG species account; National Aquarium; The Animal Facts; Animalia.bio; Billabong Sanctuary; PMC (hatchling habitat selection study)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: The dry season, from May to October, in northern Australia, when it basks on the banks and gathers in the remaining pools.
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Freshwater Crocodile — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Least ConcernSaltwater Crocodile
Crocodylus porosus
Green Tree Python
Morelia viridis
Common Death Adder
Acanthophis antarcticus
Pig-Nosed Turtle
Carettochelys insculpta
Brown Tree Snake
Boiga irregularis
New Guinea Crocodile
Crocodylus novaeguineae
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about freshwater crocodile.
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