🦈 Bull shark vs Nile crocodile 🐊
The bull shark and the nile crocodile are about the same size. The bull shark is a bit heavier than the nile crocodile.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦈 Bull shark | 🐊 Nile crocodile |
|---|---|---|
| Size They are about the same size. | 7.5 to 9.3 ft2.3 to 2.8 m1 | 6.6 to 11 ft2 to 3.3 m2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The bull shark is a bit heavier than the nile crocodile. | 209 to 245 lb95 to 111 kg1 | 154 to 220 lb70 to 100 kg2 |
| Lives We don't have a checked number for the nile crocodile yet. | 32 years32 years1 | no checked number yet |
| Eats The bull shark eats fish; the nile crocodile eats meat. | mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs | insects when it is young, and big animals such as impala and buffalo when it is grown |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes | freshwater lakes, rivers and coastal swamps south of the Sahara |
Which one? Bull shark or nile crocodile
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the bull shark or the nile crocodile yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
9 things to know about Bull shark vs Nile crocodile
- The bull shark: A sturdy shark that can swim in salt water and in fresh water.
- The nile crocodile: A big, strong river reptile that lives in Africa.
- They are different kinds of animal. The bull shark is a fish, so it breathes with gills; the nile crocodile is a reptile, so it has scaly skin.
- The bull shark and the nile crocodile are about the same size: 2 against 1.
- The bull shark is a bit heavier than the nile crocodile. That is 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the nile crocodile.
- The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs. The nile crocodile eats insects when it is young, and big animals such as impala and buffalo when it is grown.
- The bull shark lives in warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes. The nile crocodile lives in freshwater lakes, rivers and coastal swamps south of the Sahara. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The bull shark: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The nile crocodile: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🦈 Bull shark
- A bull shark can swim in salt water and in fresh water.
- It is the only shark that can stay in fresh water for a long time.
- It eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays.
🐊 Nile crocodile
- A mother Nile crocodile digs her nest in sandy soil near water.
- The youngest crocodiles eat insects.
- It is thought to live a very long time.
Questions kids ask about Bull shark and Nile crocodile
Which is bigger, bull shark or nile crocodile?
The bull shark and the nile crocodile are about the same size: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, bull shark or nile crocodile?
The bull shark is a bit heavier than the nile crocodile. That is 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the nile crocodile.
What do bull shark and nile crocodile eat?
The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs. The nile crocodile eats insects when it is young, and big animals such as impala and buffalo when it is grown.
Where do bull shark and nile crocodile live?
The bull shark lives in warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes. The nile crocodile lives in freshwater lakes, rivers and coastal swamps south of the Sahara. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do bull sharks eat nile crocodiles?
The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs. Nile crocodiles are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Do nile crocodiles eat bull sharks?
The nile crocodile eats insects when it is young, and big animals such as impala and buffalo when it is grown. Bull sharks are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Who would win, bull shark or nile crocodile?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They can share the same kind of place, and real animals mostly keep out of each other's way. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/bull-shark-vs-nile-crocodile
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Carcharhinus leucas (bull shark), checked 10 November 2026.
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Nile crocodile fact sheet, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.