Mugger crocodile
Crocodylus palustrisA broad-snouted freshwater crocodile that lies motionless on the banks of Yala's tanks, often with its jaws wide open. Look closely at any patch of mud by the water.
Mugger crocodile basking Crocodylus palustris Eli Solidum · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Latin name
- Crocodylus palustrismugger or marsh crocodile
- Status
- VulnerableIUCN Red List
- Size
- Usually 3–4 mlarge males can be longer
- Diet
- Fish, birdsand animals that come to drink
- Where in Yala
- Tanks & lagoonsinland waterholes
Overview
Muggers are among the easiest animals to see in Yala, once you know what a log with eyes looks like.
The mugger is a freshwater crocodile with a broad, heavy snout. It lives in Yala's tanks, lagoons and slow rivers, and spends hours basking on the banks to warm up. It often lies with its mouth wide open, which helps it lose heat without moving into the shade.
Muggers eat mostly fish, but they're ambush predators and will take birds, monkeys and deer that come too close to the water's edge. Yala's coastal lagoons and river mouths also hold the much larger saltwater crocodile, but at the inland waterholes the crocodile you see will almost always be a mugger.
How to spot one.
Scan the banks
Look for long grey-brown shapes on mud and sandbanks at the water's edge, especially in the morning sun.
Look for eyes and nostrils
A mugger in the water often shows only its eyes and the tip of its snout above the surface.
Watch the waterholes in the dry season
As the water shrinks, crocodiles crowd into the remaining pools and are easy to see.
Notice the open mouth
That wide gape isn't aggression. It's a crocodile cooling down.
At a glance.
- Active
- Basks by day, hunts mostly at night
- Hunting
- Ambush from the water's edge
- Nest
- Eggs laid in a hole dug in the bank
- Dry season
- May dig burrows to escape the heat
- Range
- Freshwater tanks, lagoons and rivers
- Spot it by
- Broad snout, heavy body, grey-olive color
The best months.
Muggers are in Yala all year. They're easiest to spot in the dry months, when they gather around the last of the water and bask on exposed banks.
Three things to remember.
Cooling with a smile
Basking with the mouth open lets heat escape, a bit like a dog panting.
Careful parents
Females guard their nests and may carry hatchlings to the water in their mouths.
Two kinds of croc
Yala has both muggers and saltwater crocodiles. Muggers have the broader snout and live mostly in fresh water.
How we watch them.
- We keep a safe distance from the water's edge.
- No throwing food or objects to make a crocodile move.
- We stay in the jeep at all times near water.
- We give nesting females on the banks plenty of room.
More of Yala's wildlife.
The animals our guests ask about most, and how to find them.
Go looking for one. We know where.
Tell us your date and where you're staying. We'll confirm your jeep, your tracker and your pickup time, usually within a few hours.
- No deposit, pay after your safari
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Park tickets bought for you, no queue
Sunset over Yala Pramod Thilanka · CC BY-SA 4.0
Book a safari
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