Saltwater Crocodile: Largest Living Reptile

Category: Environment & Biodiversity

  • Scientific name: Crocodylus porosus.
  • The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile.
  • Found in coastal and freshwater environments across parts of South and Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
  • In India, important populations occur in Odisha, West Bengal and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
  • It can tolerate saltwater and marine environments, allowing movement between islands and coastal habitats.
  • It is a powerful apex predator in many wetland and estuarine ecosystems.
  • IUCN status: Least Concern globally.
  • UPSC Focus: Mangroves, estuaries, Andaman & Nicobar, Odisha, crocodilian species.