Crocodylus niloticus The Nile crocodile, which can weigh as much as 1 metric ton and can measure 6.5 metres (21.3 feet) in length, has killed more people on the African continent than any other animal. These mammoth reptiles feed mainly on fish and inhabit rivers, lakes, marshes, and coastal areas in Africa south of the Sahara and Madagascar. Shortly after World War II (1939–1945), the population of Nile crocodiles dropped sharply because they were being hunted for their valuable skins and because boat traffic had intruded near their nesting sites along the Nile. As a result of habitat degradation and excessive hunting, their numbers continue to decline today.