Which Australian crocodilian is the largest living reptile?

The saltwater crocodile is the Australian crocodilian that is the largest living reptile.

Saltwater crocodiles occur in coastal and freshwater habitats across northern Australia, as well as parts of Southeast Asia. Large males can exceed 6 metres in length, although individuals of that size are uncommon. Their broad heads and powerful jaws make them formidable aquatic predators.

Despite its name, the species can live in rivers, billabongs and freshwater wetlands as well as estuaries and coastal waters. It is capable of long-distance movement through marine environments, which helps explain its wide distribution.

Australia’s saltwater crocodile population was heavily reduced by hunting before legal protection was introduced in the 1970s. Numbers later recovered in many northern regions. The freshwater crocodile is a different, generally smaller Australian species.