AnimalsThe mugger, or marsh crocodile, has a broad snout and lives in freshwater across the Indian subcontinent. It basks on banks to warm up. The mother guards her nest and carries the hatchlings gently to the water in her mouth.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Crocodylus palustris
- Group
- Reptiles
- Diet
- Carnivore (eats other animals)
- Lives in
- South Asia and Iran
- Habitat
- Rivers, lakes and marshes
- A young one is called
- hatchling
- A group is called
- bask or float
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Reptilia
- Order Crocodylia
- Family Crocodylidae
- Genus Crocodylus
- Species Crocodylus palustris
Other members of the family Crocodylidae on this site: saltwater crocodile.
More distant relatives in the order Crocodylia: gharial.
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The mugger crocodile is listed as Vulnerable. The species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.