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Siamese crocodile 

Crocodylus siamensis

Family: Crocodylidae | Genus: Crocodylus

Siamese crocodile

Crocodylus siamensis

Family: Crocodylidae | Genus: Crocodylus

Rivers and wetlands | Carnivorous | Mainly nocturnal | Southeast Asia | Up to 4 m | Up to 350 kg | Critically Endangered

The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a large semi-aquatic reptile native to Southeast Asia, recognised by its broad snout and olive-green colouring. Although it can reach up to 4 metres in length and weigh up to 350 kg, most adults measure less than 3 metres. It is one of the most threatened crocodile species in the world, due to severe habitat loss and poaching.

Geographical distribution

The Siamese crocodile currently survives in highly fragmented populations across Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei and Myanmar. It has disappeared from around 99% of its original range, making wild sightings extremely rare. Once believed to be extinct in the wild in 1992, the species was rediscovered in 2000 in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains.

Icono de Anfibios Habitat

This species primarily inhabits lowland rivers and slow-moving streams, as well as lakes, seasonal lagoons, marshes and swamps. It prefers freshwater environments with dense vegetation and shallow areas where it can camouflage and hunt. Key habitat characteristics:

  • High humidity and constant warm temperatures.
  • Dense vegetation and abundant shallow water zones.
  • Ecosystems with high prey biodiversity.

Icono de Anfibios Lifestyle and behaviour

The Siamese crocodile exhibits a range of fascinating behaviours and ecological roles, making it an essential species.

Social behaviour

  • Several individuals may share the same habitat, though they can also be territorial.
  • Primarily nocturnal but often seen basking in the sun during the day.
  • Crocodiles do not sweat; instead, they open their mouths to cool down, a process similar to panting.
  • They have exceptionally keen hearing, capable of detecting the calls of their hatchlings from inside the eggs, as well as the movement of prey or intruders entering their territory.
  • They lose and replace teeth constantly, with an individual capable of having up to 8,000 teeth over its lifetime.

Reproduction

  • Oviparous species.
  • Breeding season occurs between April and May.
  • The female lays 15 to 50 eggs, which hatch after 70–80 days of incubation.
  • The sex of the hatchlings depends on the temperature of incubation.
  • The female guards the nest throughout the incubation period.

Relationship with its environment

  • A keystone species crucial for maintaining balance within the aquatic ecosystems it inhabits.
  • At Poema del Mar, a pair of Siamese crocodiles live together: the male, Coco, born in Vietnam, and the female, Drila, born in Barcelona.
  • Over 700,000 Siamese crocodiles are raised on commercial farms across Southeast Asia for the meat and leather industries. 
  • It is sometimes crossbred with the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) to produce larger, more commercially valuable hybrids. 

      Icono de Anfibios Diet

      In the wild

      • Fish

      • Snakes

      • Birds

      • Amphibians

      • Small mammals

      Under human care

      • Controlled diet of meat and fish

      Icono de Anfibios Conservation status

      Lista roja UICN Litoria Caerulea

      The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)  is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List and is listed under CITES Appendix I.

      Main threats:

      • Habitat loss and fragmentation
      • Poaching for skin and meat
      • Hybridisation with saltwater crocodiles to produce larger and more valuable hybrids
      • Today, most Siamese crocodiles live in captivity, while wild populations are extremely small and localised.