How long was the longest recorded crocodile?
Saltwater crocodile
The largest confirmed saltwater crocodile on record drowned in a fishing net in Papua New Guinea in 1979, its dried skin plus head measured long and it was estimated to have been when accounting for shrinkage and a missing tail tip. However, according to evidence, in the form of skulls coming from some of the largest crocodiles ever shot, the maximum possible size attained by the largest members of this species is considered to be . A governmental study from Australia accepts that the very largest members of the species are likely to measure in length and weigh . Furthermore, a research paper on the morphology and physiology of crocodilians by the same organisation estimates that saltwater crocodiles reaching sizes of would weigh around . Due to extensive poaching during the 20th century, such individuals are extremely rare today in most areas, as it takes a long time for the crocodiles to attain those sizes. Also, a possible earlier presence of particular genes may have led to such large-sized saltwater crocodiles, genes that were ultimately lost from the overall gene pool due to extensive hide and trophy hunting in the past. However, with recent restoration of saltwater crocodile habitat and reduced poaching, the number of large crocodiles is increasing, especially in Odisha. This species is the only extant crocodilian to regularly reach or exceed . A large male from Philippines, named Lolong, was the largest saltwater crocodile ever caught and placed in captivity. He was 20 ft 3 in (6.17 m), and weighed 2,370 lbs (1,075 kg). Believed to have eaten two villagers, Lolong was captured on 3 September 2011, and died in captivity on 10 February 2013.
Cuvier's dwarf caiman
Cuvier's dwarf caiman is the smallest living New World crocodilian. Males grow to a maximum length around while females do not usually exceed . The largest specimen on record measured in length. This may be an underestimate of the animal's maximum size, as nearly all large adults have lost the tips of their tails and the largest specimen measured in the Pantanal region had a snout-to-vent length of (equivalent to a total length of with an intact tail). An adult typically weighs around , around the same weight as a 6– to 12-month-old specimen of several larger species of crocodilians. Cuvier's dwarf caiman has strong body armour on both its dorsal (upper) and ventral (lower) sides, which may compensate for its small body size in reducing predation. The dermal scales providing this protection have a bony base and are known as osteoderms.