IUCN Red List Status of the living crocdilians
The living species are:
| Species | Scientific name | IUCN Red List conservation status |
|---|---|---|
| American crocodile | Crocodylus acutus | Vulnerable |
| Orinoco crocodile | Crocodylus intermedius | Critically Endangered |
| Freshwater crocodile | Crocodylus johnsoni | Lower Risk/least concern |
| Philippine crocodile | Crocodylus mindorensis | Critically Endangered |
| Morelet’s crocodile or Mexican crocodile | Crocodylus moreletii | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Nile crocodile | Crocodylus niloticus | Lower Risk/least concern |
| West African crocodile | Crocodylus suchus | Not yet assessed |
| New Guinea crocodile | Crocodylus novaeguineae | Lower Risk/least concern |
| Hall’s crocodile | Crocodylus halli | Not yet assessed |
| Mugger crocodile, marsh crocodile, or Indian crocodile | Crocodylus palustris | Vulnerable |
| Saltwater crocodile or estuarine crocodile | Crocodylus porosus | Lower Risk/least concern |
| Dwarf crocodile | Osteolaemus tetraspis | Vulnerable |
| Cuban crocodile | Crocodylus rhombifer | Critically Endangered |
| Siamese crocodile | Crocodylus siamensis | Critically Endangered |
| West African Slender-snouted crocodile | Mecistops cataphractus | Critically Endangered |
| Central African Slender-snouted crocodile | Mecistops leptorhynchus | Not yet assessed |
| American alligator | Alligator mississippiensis | Lower Risk/least concern |
| Chinese alligator | Alligator sinensis | Critically Endangered |
| Spectacled caiman | Caiman crocodilus | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Broad-snouted caiman | Caiman latirostris | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Yacaré caiman | Caiman yacare | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Black caiman | Melanosuchus niger | Lower Risk/conservation-dependent |
| Cuvier’s dwarf caiman | Paleosuchus palpebrosus | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Schneider’s dwarf caiman or smooth-fronted caiman | Paleosuchus trigonatus | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Tomistoma | Tomistoma schlegelii | Endangered |
| Gharial | Gavialis gangeticus | Critically Endangered |
Population Estimates
| Species | Scientific name | Estimated population in the wild | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| American crocodile | Crocodylus acutus | ~ 20,000 | Increasing |
| Orinoco crocodile | Crocodylus intermedius | 100-250 | Decreasing |
| Freshwater crocodile | Crocodylus johnsoni | ~ 100,000 | Stable |
| Philippine crocodile | Crocodylus mindorensis | Less than 150 | Decreasing |
| Morelet’s crocodile or Mexican crocodile | Crocodylus moreletii | 79,000-100,000 | Stable |
| Nile crocodile | Crocodylus niloticus | 50,000-70,000 | Stable |
| West African crocodile | Crocodylus suchus | Awaiting Assessment | Uncertain |
| New Guinea crocodile | Crocodylus novaeguineae | 100,000 | Stable |
| Hall’s crocodile | Crocodylus halli | Awaiting Assessment | Uncertain |
| Mugger crocodile, marsh crocodile, or Indian crocodile | Crocodylus palustris | >10,000 | Stable |
| Saltwater crocodile or estuarine crocodile | Crocodylus porosus | >200,000 | Uncertain |
| Dwarf crocodile | Osteolaemus tetraspis | 25,000 to 100,000 | Uncertain |
| Cuban crocodile | Crocodylus rhombifer | 3,000 to 5,000 | Uncertain |
| Siamese crocodile | Crocodylus siamensis | 500 – 1,000 | Decreasing |
| West African Slender-snouted crocodile | Mecistops cataphractus | <20,000 | Decreasing |
| Central African Slender-snouted crocodile | Mecistops leptorhynchus | Awaiting Assessment | Uncertain |
| American alligator | Alligator mississippiensis | More than 3,000,000 | Stable |
| Chinese alligator | Alligator sinensis | Around 150 | Stable |
| Spectacled caiman | Caiman crocodilus | 1,000,000 | Stable |
| Broad-snouted caiman | Caiman latirostris | 250,000 to 500,000 | Stable |
| Yacaré caiman | Caiman yacare | > 200,000 | Stable |
| Black caiman | Melanosuchus niger | >1,000,000 | Stable |
| Cuvier’s dwarf caiman | Paleosuchus palpebrosus | >1,000,000 | Stable |
| Schneider’s dwarf caiman or smooth-fronted caiman | Paleosuchus trigonatus | > 1,000,000 | Stable |
| Tomistoma | Tomistoma schlegelii | 2,500 – 10,000 | Decreasing |
| Gharial | Gavialis gangeticus | 650 – 1,000 | Increasing |
Note that some of the figures above represent mature animals only, other include total population estimates.
References
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, https://www.iucnredlist.org/, various species accounts accessed on 1 January 2024.
Crocodile Specialist Group website, http://www.iucncsg.org/pages/Conservation-Status.html
