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How do crocodiles find prey in dark or murky water?

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Illustration of an estuarine or saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) with its mouth open, showing scaly skin and powerful limbs, alongside a scale bar for size reference. — crocodile Estuarine, or saltwater, crocodile (*Crocodylus porosus*), found in brackish waters from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar east to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and south to Australia.

Crocodiles are highly adapted predators that utilize specialized sensory structures to hunt effectively in dark or murky water.

While they possess keen hearing and a well-developed sense of smell, their primary mechanism for detecting prey in low-visibility aquatic environments involves sensitive pressure receptors. These receptors are located in small pits within the scales surrounding the mouth, which allow the crocodile to detect motion in the water. By sensing these vibrations and pressure changes, crocodiles can accurately locate and capture prey even when they cannot rely on their vision.1

Additionally, crocodiles are well-equipped for nocturnal hunting; their eyes feature a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer on the back of the eye that maximizes the use of available light, and vertical, slit-shaped pupils that adjust to varying light conditions.2