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A slender-snouted freshwater crocodile resting on a bank above water.
Photo: Mark Marathon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Freshwater Crocodile

Crocodylus johnstoni

A slender-snouted, shy crocodile of northern Australia's rivers that waits motionless in shallow water for prey.

🐊 Crocodilians
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About the Freshwater Crocodile

Freshwater crocodiles grow up to about 10 feet long, smaller and slimmer than their cousin the saltwater crocodile. They are gray to tan-brown with dark patches, and their tail makes up almost half their length. They live in rivers, creeks, pools, billabongs and swamps across northern Australia. Insects are their most common food, followed by fish, plus frogs, turtles, lizards, birds and small mammals.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Crocodylus johnstoni[1]
Size
Up to about 10 feet long.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Mostly insects and fish, plus frogs, turtles, lizards, snakes, birds and mammals.[1]
Habitat
Rivers, creeks, pools, billabongs, lagoons and swamps.[1]
Where it lives
Inland rivers of northern Australia.[1]
Babies
Eggs laid in sandbank nests near the water.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Insects are this crocodile's most common food.[1]
  • Most freshwater crocodiles return to the same dry-season pool every year.[1]
  • Its tail is almost half its total length.[1]

Vocabulary

crocodilian
A member of the reptile group that includes crocodiles, alligators and caimans.
billabong
An Australian word for a pond left behind when a river changes course.
scute
A bony plate or large scale on a reptile's back or tail.
ambush
To hide and wait, then attack by surprise.
least concern
A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

  1. [1] Australian Museum. “Freshwater Crocodile.” https://australian.museum/learn/animals/reptiles/freshwater-crocodile/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Crocodylus johnstoni (Australian Freshwater Crocodile).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/46589/3010118 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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