There are 24 crocodilian species across the globe, located on every continent but Antarctica and Europe. Because crocodiles are cold-blooded reptiles, they prefer to live in warm tropical regions, so you will find many of them close to the equator. In many cases, the species’ name makes it obvious where they live.
Crocodilians are divided into three families:
Alligatoridae – 8 species that include alligators and caimans
Crocodylidae – 14 species that include “true” crocodiles
Gavialidae – 2 species that include gharial and Tomistoma.
Here is where the crocodilians live across the globe.
African Crocodilians
Africa is home to four species of crocodiles the Nile crocodile, West African crocodile, African slender-snouted crocodile, and the African dwarf crocodile.
Alligatoridae
None on this continent
Crocodylidae
The African Slender-snouted Crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus) can be found along small streams and rivers in central and south Africa (Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Zambia).
The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) can be found in 26 countries in Africa and can be found primarily in the central, eastern, and southern areas of the continent. Though this species is capable of living in salt water, it can be found primarily in freshwater areas.
The West African crocodile (Crocodylus suchus) can be found in the dry interior of western Africa.
The African Dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus teraspis) can be found across tropical regions of Sub-Saharan West Africa and Central Africa (Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo).
Gavialidae
None on this continent
Asian Crocodilians
Asia is home to eight crocodilian species: Mugger crocodile, Siamese crocodile, Saltwater crocodile, Philippine crocodile, New Guinea crocodile, Chinese alligator, Tomistoma, and the Gharial.
Alligatoridae
The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) can only be found in China’s lower Yangtze valley in Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu Provinces.
Crocodylidae
The Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) can be found in small numbers in the Philippines, mainly in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.
The New Guinea Freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus novaeguineae) can be found in New Guinea.
The Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) is a freshwater species with the widest range of Asian crocodiles. This species can be found in India and Sri Lanka. They can also be found in Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh though very few are still in existence. The Mugger crocodile is the only crocodile species found in Pakistan and Iran.
The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a small freshwater species once prevalent in Thailand, the Indochinese region, and parts of Indonesia. Today the only known wild ones can be found at the Bung Boraphet Reservoir in Nakhon Sawan province, Thailand.
The Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) see Australia.
Gavialidae
The Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is an odd-looking member of the crocodilian species with a long snout and bulbous nose. The gharial lives in India and Nepal.
The Tomistoma (Tomistoma schlegelii) has a long, slender snout like the Gharial and can be found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Borneo.
North American Crocodilians
North America is home to four crocodilian species the American alligator, American crocodile, Morelet’s crocodile, and the Cuban crocodile.
Alligatoridae
The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is a freshwater crocodilian found in wetland habitats across the southeast United States, ranging from mid-Texas through Louisianna, Mississippi, and Florida. They can also be found in the southern portions of Alabama and Georgia and the eastern portions of South and North Carolina. Some claim that climate change may be pushing them further north.
Crocodylidae
The American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) can be found on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of southern Mexica, Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean islands, including Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola. In North America, this species can only be found on the southern tip of Florida.
Morelet’s Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) can be found in freshwater lagoons, swamps, and streams in Central America’s Atlantic regions, including Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala.
The Cuban Crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) is a swamp-dwelling crocodile species found in Cuba.
Gavialidae
None on this continent
South American Crocodilians
Alligatoridae
The Spectacled Caiman (Caiman Crocodilus) is widespread throughout Central America and northern South America.
The Broad-snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris) is more tolerant of cooler climates and resides in the southern parts of South America (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia).
The Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacare) lives in a wide variety of wet habitats in the countries of southern Brazil, southern Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
The Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger) lives in the Amazon basin.
The Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) is the smallest of all crocodilians. This species can be found in fast-flowing rivers in eastern Colombia, Venezuela, all Guyanan states, eastern Ecuador, Peru, northern Brazil, eastern Bolivia, and northeast Paraguay.
The Schneider’s Smooth-fronted Caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) lives in jungle creeks and streams in French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, northern Brazil, southern portions of Venezuela, Columbia, and Ecuador, eastern Peru, and the northern tip of Bolivia.
Crocodylidae
The Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) is restricted to the Orinoco River in Columbia and Venezuela.
Gavialidae
None on this continent
Australian Crocodilians
Australia is home to two species of crocodiles, the saltwater crocodile, and the freshwater crocodile.
Alligatoridae
None on this continent
Crocodylidae
The Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), also called the Estuarine crocodile, is the largest of all crocodilians and can be found in saltwater and brackish habitats from India’s east coast through Southeast Asia to northern Australia.
The Australian Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni), found only in Australia, is commonly known as the Johnstone crocodile or the Australian freshwater crocodile. This species can be found in Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland.
Gavialidae
None on this continent
Resources
- The INCU Red List of Threatened Species – “The INCU Red List of Threatened Species.”
- Crocodile Specialist Group – “Classification of Living Crocodilians.”
- Whitaker, Rom and Zai. “Status and Conservation of the Asian Crocodiles.” Madras Crocodile Bank.
- Thorbjarnarson, John B. “Ecology of the American Crocodile, Crocodylus Acutus.” Department of Wildlife and Range Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.
