Nile crocodile

Nile crocodiles are deservedly feared as man-eaters. Estimates suggest that up to 300 people may die each year in the jaws of a Nile crocodile.

Scientific name: Crocodylus niloticus

Family Classification: Crocodylidae

Common names: Nile Crocodile

IUCN Red List Category: Least Concern (1)

Year Assessed: 1996 (Needs updating) (1)

Estimated wild population: 250,000 to 500,000 (2)

Countries: Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe (1)

Description: Africa's largest crocodilian, Nile crocodiles reach a typical adult length of 5 metres (16.4 ft). They live throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the Nile Basin, and Madagascar in rivers, freshwater marshes, and mangrove swamps.

Maximum adult length: 5 metres (16.4 ft)

Diet and predation: Nile crocodiles have voracious appetites. They feed mainly on fish, including the barbel catfish. Large adults will attack any animal that comes to the water, including zebras, hippos, wildebeest, gazelle, antelope, and birds. They will also eat other crocodiles and carrion. Cooperative hunting has been observed in populations of Nile crocodiles living in large bodies of water, or in very high traffic areas of rivers and lakes.

Conservation status: Hunted close to extinction in the 1940s through the 1960s, conservation measures have helped populations recover in most areas. In some African countries, Nile crocodiles are protected legally. Threats to the population include habitat destruction, pollution and hunting by humans.

Attacks on humans: There is little doubt that the Nile crocodile is responsible for more attacks on humans than any other crocodilian species. After lions and hippos, the Nile crocodile causes the highest numbers of wildlife-related fatalities in Africa. Although firm numbers are not available as many non-fatal attacks go unreported, estimates suggest that up to 300 people may die each year in the jaws of a Nile crocodile.

References:

1. IUCN Red List (February, 2011) http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. FLMNH - Crocodile Species List (February, 2011) http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/