# What Do Saltwater Crocodiles Eat?

> What saltwater crocodiles eat: Carnivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Estuaries, mangroves, rivers, coasts.

- **Species:** Saltwater Crocodile (*Crocodylus porosus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** Estuaries, mangroves, rivers, coasts
- **Lifespan:** 70+ years
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/saltwater-crocodile/what-do-saltwater-crocodile-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/saltwater-crocodile/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile, with big males reaching up to 6 m (20 ft) and over 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Found across the Indo-Pacific from India to northern Australia, it has the strongest bite force ever measured in a living animal and is an ambush predator that can survive in both fresh and salt water. Saltwater crocodiles can live 70 years or more.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Behavior and hunting

Saltwater crocodiles are patient ambush predators. They lie almost motionless at the water's edge, then explode forward to seize prey and drag it under in a "death roll." They are highly territorial, and large males defend stretches of river and coast aggressively.

## Help protect the Saltwater Crocodile

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/saltwater-crocodile/what-do-saltwater-crocodile-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.