Where Do Crocodiles Live? A Geographical Look at Crocodilians

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Last Reviewed:October 1, 2022 by Gabrielle Marks

Where Do Crocodiles Live
Where Do Crocodiles Live?

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 name of the species 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.

Africa

Where Do Crocodiles Live - Nile Crocodile
The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

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 saltwater, 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

 Asia

Where Do Crocodiles Live - Chinese Alligator
The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)

Asia is home to eight crocodilian species the 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 that was 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 America

How Long Do Alligators Live?
The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

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 that can be 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 America

Where Do Crocodiles Live - Spectacled Caiman
The Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)

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 int 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 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

Australia

Where Do Crocodiles Live - Saltwater Crocodile
The Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

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 known commonly 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. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2020. https://www.iucnredlist.org/

Classification of Living Crocodilians.” Crocodile Specialist Group. N.p., n.d., Web. 18 Jan. 2020. http://www.iucncsg.org/pages/Classification-of-Living-Crocodilians.html

Whitaker, Rom and Zai. “Status and Conservation of the Asian Crocodiles.” Madras Crocodile Bank. https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/NS-1989-001.pdf

Thorbjarnarson, John B. “Ecology of the American Crocodile, Crocodylus Acutus.” Department of Wildlife and Range Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville. https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/NS-1989-001.pdf