Nile crocodiles live in Africa. They live on the island of Madagascar too. They live in rivers. They live in freshwater marshes. They live in mangrove swamps. In daylight, a Nile crocodile basks in the sun. It cools off in the water when it needs to.

As of November 2026, the Nile crocodile is the largest crocodile in Africa. An average adult is about 16 feet long. That is about 5 meters. That counts its tail. A young crocodile grows about 1 foot longer each year. That is about 30 centimeters.

Its eyes are on top of its head. It swims by moving its tail. Its short legs are held against its body. A long tooth on each side of its lower jaw can be seen. You can see it when the mouth is closed.

Let's look at what it eats. Young crocodiles eat insects. They eat small fish too. Fish are the main food of a Nile crocodile. It also eats zebras. It eats porcupines too. It can go a long time between meals.

A mother makes her nest on a riverbank. She may use a sandy shoreline or a dry streambed. She lays at least 25 eggs in one nest. She guards the nest until the eggs hatch. They take about 90 days to hatch.

Baby crocodiles call from inside the eggs. They call just before they hatch. The mother digs up the nest. She does this when the babies are ready. Then she carries her newly hatched babies to the water. She carries them in her mouth.

Words to know

• basks: sits in sun
• hatch: come from eggs
• porcupines: spiny animals
• marshes: wet land