Nile crocodiles live in Africa, and on the island of Madagascar. They live in rivers, freshwater marshes and mangrove swamps. Scientists now count two kinds of Nile crocodile: Crocodylus niloticus in eastern Africa, the Nile valley and southern Africa, and Crocodylus suchus in west and central Africa.

As of November 2026, the Nile crocodile is the largest crocodile in Africa. An average adult is about 16 feet (about 5 meters) long, counting its tail. As of November 2026, the longest reach about 20 feet (6 meters). An average adult weighs about 500 pounds (225 kilograms), and many weigh more. As of November 2026, the biggest are reported to weigh as much as 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds).

A Nile crocodile has its eyes on top of its head. Its ear slits close up when it dives, which keeps water out. It sees well at night because its vertical pupils open wider than our round ones, letting in more light. The sensing bumps on its skin are more sensitive to touch than human fingertips.

A long tooth on each side of its lower jaw can be seen when its mouth is closed. Its teeth are replaced in waves along the jaw, so a new tooth can move in very quickly to replace an old one.

A crocodile swims by moving its tail, and its short legs are held against its body. A resting Nile crocodile may stay underwater for up to two hours when it is not moving. On land, a Nile crocodile can reach speeds of 18 kilometers per hour (11 miles per hour) for short distances. Crocodilians reach their top speed on land, about 18 km/h, in a gallop, and they are worn out before they have gone 100 meters.

A Nile crocodile waits patiently underwater for prey, then launches itself forward. It may ambush prey near the shoreline, swimming silently underwater until it is near the shore. Nile crocodiles sometimes hunt fish together, herding the fish.

Fish are the main food of a Nile crocodile. Besides fish, Nile crocodiles eat animals such as zebras and porcupines. A crocodile's tail stores fat, so a big crocodile can go a long time without food.

Nile crocodiles are most often active at night. In daylight a Nile crocodile basks in the sun, and it cools off in the water when it needs to. Nile crocodiles often rest in the sun with their mouths open. A Nile crocodile warms up and cools down by moving between sun and shade or land and water.

A mother Nile crocodile makes her nest on a riverbank, a sandy shoreline or a dry streambed. Nile crocodile mothers often make their nests close to each other. She guards her nest until the eggs hatch. She lays at least 25 eggs in one nest, and the eggs take about 90 days, or three months, to hatch. The nest temperature decides whether the babies are female or male.

Baby Nile crocodiles call from inside their eggs just before they hatch. When the babies are ready to hatch, the mother digs up the nest. A parent may gently roll an egg in its mouth to help a baby hatch. Then the mother carries her newly hatched babies to the water in her mouth.

Young Nile crocodiles eat insects and small fish. They dig tunnels in river banks as shelter from predators. A young Nile crocodile grows about 30 centimeters (1 foot) longer each year. On average, a Nile crocodile lives about 45 years in the wild.

In the middle of the 1900s, Nile crocodiles were hunted until they were almost gone. Laws and protection have helped Nile crocodile numbers recover in many places. As of November 2026, the IUCN Red List says the Nile crocodile is a species of Least Concern. In some places pollution, hunting and loss of habitat still harm Nile crocodiles.

Words to know

• ambush: hunt from hiding
• predators: hunting animals
• pupils: eye openings
• recover: come back