Nile crocodile map Crocodylus niloticus Least concern
Where the nile crocodile lives: an interactive map of its subspecies and recorded sightings worldwide.
Approximate range, based on recorded sightings. Shapes are drawn by World Animal Map from 1,738 wild occurrence records on GBIF (CC0/CC BY 4.0; captive and fossil records excluded, isolated outliers removed), grouped into 1° grid cells and clipped to land and nearby coastal waters. They show where the animal has been recorded, not an official range; gaps can simply mean no open data. Method · Records on GBIF
| Scientific name | Crocodylus niloticus |
|---|---|
| Status | Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Mapped range layers | 2 |
| Records used | 1,738 wild occurrence records (GBIF, CC0/CC BY) |
| Group | Crocodiles & alligators |
Interesting facts
- Lake Turkana in Kenya has one of the largest undisturbed Nile crocodile populations. [source]
- As in all crocodilians, Nile crocodiles have exceptionally high levels of lactic acid in their blood, which allows them to sit motionless in water for up to 2 hours. [source]
- The Nile crocodile is the largest crocodilian in Africa, and is generally considered the second-largest crocodilian after the saltwater crocodile. [source]
- An old male individual, named "Big Daddy", housed at Mamba Village Centre, Mombasa, Kenya, is considered to be one of the largest living Nile crocodiles in captivity. [source]
- Nile crocodiles usually dive for only a few minutes at a time, but can swim under water up to 30 minutes if threatened. [source]
About the nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the eastern, southern, and central regions of the continent, and lives in different types of aquatic environments such as lakes, rivers, swamps and marshlands. It occasionally inhabits deltas, brackish lakes and rarely also saltwater. Its range once stretched from the Nile Delta throughout the Nile River. Lake Turkana in Kenya has one of the largest undisturbed Nile crocodile populations.
Subspecies (2)
Subspecies listed in Wikidata as children of Crocodylus niloticus (fossil-only taxa excluded). Classification is debated for many animals and lists differ between authorities.
- Crocodylus niloticus cowiei
on the map - Crocodylus niloticus madagascariensis
no open-licence GBIF records
Photos
Text in “About”, “Interesting facts” and “Population” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Nile crocodile (revision 1379012913), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: sentences excerpted verbatim, citations and formatting removed. No text added. Taxa and status: Wikidata Q168745 (CC0).
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