Largest Crocodile Ever Recorded

Of the many mesmerizing attributes of these reptiles, one of the most amazing attribute is their size - and the diversity you get to see in this context. There are numerous species of crocodiles, ranging from small dwarf crocodile species, which seldom grow beyond a length of 1.5 m (5 ft), to large saltwater crocodiles native to the Southeast Asia and northern Australia, which attain a length of 4-5.5 m (13-18 ft) in adulthood. The second largest species of crocodile is the Nile crocodile with an average length of 4-5 m. While 4-5.5 m is the average length for the saltwater species, sighting of individuals measuring 6 m in the wild in not a rare occurrence. If you try to find out which has been the largest crocodile ever recorded in the world, you will come across several sources which claim that the largest individual measured a whopping 7 m or 23 ft. But is it possible for such a huge crocodile to exist?

The Size of the Largest Crocodile Ever Recorded

There exist several claims which boast of crocodiles measuring 7 m and more, however, none of these claims have enough evidence to support them, and thus one can't say for sure whether these allegedly large crocodiles were really as large as we are made to believe. Of the numerous claims, one claim in particular speaks about a crocodile measuring 10.1 m (33.1 ft) which was found dead in the Bay of Bengal, in South Asia. However, lack of concrete evidence reduces this claim to a mere exaggeration.

Based on Assumptions
Even though there are no confirmed records of the same, many wildlife experts are of the opinion that the largest crocodile ever recorded was 7 m (23 ft long). It was found at the Bhitarkanika Mangroves, a mangrove wetland in India, in 1926. It is believed that this giant crocodile was shot by the then ruler of this region, who preserved the skull of this reptile.

If you were fascinated by this crocodile measuring 7 m, you need to take a look at the size of some extinct crocodile species which inhabited the Earth in prehistoric times. If the fossil remains are to be believed, the largest crocodile to inhabit the planet was Rhamphosuchus - with a length of 18 m (60 ft). Similarly, there also existed other species which had an average length of 12 m (40 ft) - most notable among these were the Deinosuchus, Sarcosuchus imperator and Purussaurus species.

The skull of a crocodile is believed to be one-ninth the size of its body, and the claim that the crocodile found at the Bhitarkanika Mangrove was 7 m long can be attributed to this very fact. While critics argue that going by the skull size this crocodile, it could have been anywhere between 6.1 to 7 m in length - and not necessarily 7 m, the Guinness Book of World Records has already accepted it as the largest specimen on the basis of the skull recovered from the Kanika Royal Family.

Based on Concrete Evidence
If claims backed by concrete evidence are taken into consideration, the distinction of being the biggest crocodile in the world is shared by the two crocodiles measuring 6.20 m (20 ft) each. While the first crocodile was shot by poachers on the banks of River Mary in northern Australia in 1974, the second was killed on the banks of River Fly in Papua New Guinea in 1983. Interestingly, in case of the Papua New Guinea crocodile only the skin was measured and going by the fact that the skin tends to underestimate the actual length of the animal it is assumed that this crocodile must have actually being 6.3 m long. Similarly, the distinction of being the biggest crocodile in captivity goes to Yai - an Estuarine-Siamese hybrid, held at the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Thailand, which measured 6 m (19 ft 8 in) in length and weighed approximately 2,456 lbs.

If the Guinness Book of World Records is to be believed, the largest crocodile based on the study of its skull is the Bhitarkanika crocodile found in Southeast Asia. If actual measurements are taken into consideration though, the distinction goes to the two crocodiles which were found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.