Orinoco crocodile: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Orinoco crocodile lives – recorded in 2 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Crocodylus intermedius
Group	Crocodiles & alligators
Status	Critically endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	2 countries
Continents	South America
Class	Reptile
Order	Crocodilia
Family	Crocodylidae

Where does the Orinoco crocodile live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Orinoco crocodile in 2 countries and territories across South America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the Orinoco crocodile endangered?

The Orinoco crocodile’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Critically endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the Orinoco crocodile?

The Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) is a reptile in the order Crocodilia and the family Crocodylidae, genus Crocodylus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Orinoco crocodile

The Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) is a critically endangered crocodile which can only be found in the Orinoco river basin in Venezuela and Colombia. Extensively hunted for their skins in the 19th and 20th centuries, it is one of the most endangered species of crocodiles. It is a very large species of crocodilian; males have been reported up to 6.8 m (22 ft 4 in) in the past, weighing over 900 kg (2,000 lb), but such sizes do not exist today, 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) being a more widely accepted maximum size. A large male today may attain 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) in length and can weigh up to 450 kg (1,000 lb), while females are substantially smaller with the largest likely to weigh around 225 kg (496 lb). Sexual dimorphism is not as profound as in other crocodilian species. The coloration is light even in adults.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Orinoco crocodile (revision 1365453597), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q272395 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).