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How well can crocodiles hear sounds?

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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 possess keen hearing that plays a vital role in detecting prey, identifying enemies, and facilitating social behaviour. Their auditory system features a tympanic membrane protected by an external valvular flap, which closes when the animal dives underwater.12

The crocodilian inner ear is highly developed, containing approximately 11,000 sensory hair cells—significantly more than those found in advanced lizards. Research on Caiman crocodilus indicates that their ears are sensitive to frequencies ranging from 20 to 15,000 hertz. Other studies on the American alligator have recorded a hearing range of 50 to 4,000 hertz.21

Crocodiles are responsive to various environmental sounds; for instance, their breathing rate may accelerate in response to loud noises like gunshots. Furthermore, they utilize vocalizations such as roars, hisses, and grunts to communicate, and they are known to respond to external sounds, including motors and human imitations of their own calls.23