10 Things You Didn’t Know About Nile Crocodiles

Like most reptiles, Nile crocodiles are great sun-bathers. This is where you will most likely encounter your first croc while staying at The Palm River Hotel: Sunning itself on the banks of the Zambezi River.

While the presence of crocodiles makes swimming in the Zambezi a no-go, this fact doesn’t prevent guests from enjoying the lush vegetation and wildlife it supports.

In recognition of our resident crocodiles, we’ve compiled a list of 10 things you (probably) didn’t know about them.

(And how best to get up close and personal with Nile crocs during your time in Victoria Falls!)

While the Nile crocodile, specifically, is a modern species, its lineage belongs to a much older group of reptiles that coexisted with dinosaurs for millions of years.

These ancient crocodilians can be traced back to the late Triassic period – over 200 million years ago!

When active, Nile crocodiles can hold their breath for anything between 15 and 30 minutes. When they are completely inactive, however, they can hold their breath for up to 2 hours! This comes in handy as crocodiles are ambush hunters, lurking in the shallow water as they wait for their prey to come and drink.

Nile crocs are powerful swimmers, and its all in the tail. While they normally cruise around rather languidly at about 1,5 km/h, they can propel themselves up to 40 km/h in short bursts.

The Nile crocodile has the third-strongest bite in the world, right behind the Great White shark and the Saltwater crocodile. Its powerful jaws have a bite force of approximately 3000 pounds per square inch (PSI). By comparison, hippos have a bite force of around 1800 PSI, and we don’t need to tell you how powerful a hippo bite is!

Nile crocodiles can live for a significant amount of time, typically reaching 70 to 100 years in the wild. Some individuals have even been known to live longer under ideal conditions. Their longevity is partly due to their slow growth rate and relatively low metabolism (cold-blooded).

While reptiles are better known for their laissez faire style of parenting, Nile crocodiles offer more protection than most. After laying her eggs (typically in clutches of 50), the female Nile crocodile will keep a close watch over her nest; as will her mate. Upon hatching the young crocodiles make a specific sound, calling their mother who supervises their progress to the water’s edge.

While many of us know that reptiles are cold-blooded, we might not fully understand what this means. For Nile crocodiles, being cold-blooded means they can’t regulate their own body temperature. Instead, they depend on external heat sources, like the sun, to warm up (which is why you often see them basking), or they retreat into the water to cool off. Interestingly, this reliance on the environment means that temperature directly influences their activity levels. When it’s cold, their metabolism slows down, and they become sluggish and less active.

Nile crocodiles have excellent night vision. Their eyes are adapted to see well in low light, which helps them hunt at night.

Nile crocodiles eat less frequently due to their slow metabolism, typically once every 1-2 weeks. Their cold-blooded nature allows them to survive longer without food, especially in cooler weather. This ability to go without meals makes them highly adaptable and successful predators.

Nile crocodiles have an exceptional sense of smell, capable of detecting scents from up to 5 km away in the water. This ability helps them locate prey, such as fish or mammals, and even detect carrion from significant distances, which is crucial for their survival. Their nostrils are highly sensitive and located on top of their snout, allowing them to smell while remaining mostly submerged.

If you’d like to see these awe-inspiring reptiles up-close in an environment that is both safe and respectful, we highly recommend booking one of our Ra-Ikane River Cruises.

Not only will you get to enjoy the beauty of a romantic river voyage on a boat fashioned after David Livingstone’s very own expedition boat, Ma-Robert, but you will also have the time to observe and enjoy the river from an entirely new vantage point, slipping past pods of hippos and slumbering crocodiles, as well as countless species of birds and buck coming to drink by the water’s edge.

These flat-deck boats carry 16 passengers and can be taken out over breakfast, lunch, sunset or chartered for a private cruise.

If you’re staying with us, this is one Victoria Falls activity you can’t miss!

The Palm River Hotel is a luxury 5-star property located on the banks of the Zambezi River.

This natural haven, untouched as it is, means that we share our space with extraordinary animals like elephants, hippos, antelope and, yes, even the Nile crocodile! By embracing the wild beauty of Victoria Falls, you are opening yourself up to a new world of travel, and we can’t wait to be the ones to show it to you.

Browse our luxury suites and get in touch with our friendly reception desk at onlinereservations@palmriverhotel.com to book your dates.

Alternatively, make use of our online booking platform.

We look forward to welcoming you to Victoria Falls!