Nile crocodile Facts for Kids
Crocodylus niloticus · kroh-koh-DY-lus ny-LOT-ih-kus
A big, strong river reptile that lives in Africa.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ 154 to 220 lb70 to 100 kg1
- 📏 6.6 to 11 ft2 to 3.3 m1 long
- 🎂 lifespan: not yet checked
- 🍽️ meat
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
A big reptile with a long tail and a long snout. It lives in rivers and lakes in Africa. A baby crocodile eats insects.
Nile crocodiles live in freshwater lakes, rivers and coastal swamps south of the Sahara. A young one eats insects. A grown one eats large animals that come to the water, such as impala and buffalo.
A Nile crocodile lives in freshwater lakes, rivers and coastal swamps south of the Sahara. A grown one is longer than most grown-ups are tall, and much heavier. The youngest crocodiles eat insects, and grown ones eat large animals that come to the water, such as impala and buffalo. A mother makes her nest near water, in sandy soil she can dig. Nile crocodiles are thought to live a very long time.
How big is a nile crocodile?
Nile crocodile in numbers
| Length | 6.6 to 11 ft2 to 3.3 m1adults |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 154 to 220 lb70 to 100 kg1 |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | no checked number yet |
| What it eats | insects when it is young, and big animals such as impala and buffalo when it is grown |
| Where it lives | freshwater lakes, rivers and coastal swamps south of the Sahara |
| What kind | Reptiles |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)2 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- 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.
Compare the nile crocodile
Friends and neighbours
Saltwater crocodile
American alligator
LionThree questions
Books about the nile crocodile, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the nile crocodile for free.
For teachers
Use this animal in class: its facts are on this page, and the cards print from it.
Where these numbers come from
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Nile crocodile fact sheet, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, Nile crocodile (Q168745), checked 30 October 2026.