I’m the largest living reptile in the world and am a carnivore. As a baby, I eat smaller prey such as insects, amphibians, prawns, and fish. As I grow, I can take on bigger prey like turtles, larger lizards, mud crabs, snakes, and birds. Once I am fully grown, I can hunt prey as large as wild pigs and buffalo. I play an important role in ecosystems by hunting sick and weak animals. This keeps their populations healthy and from getting out of control.

I am a strong swimmer and can be found far out in the ocean as well as in freshwater rivers. I lay my eggs near freshwater in muddy nests. The temperature of the nest determines the gender of the babies. Male babies will hatch in a nest that is at about 31.6 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is much higher or lower, female babies will hatch.

I’m ectothermic, like most other reptiles, which means I rely on my environment to regulate my body temperature. If I get too cold, I go find a nice spot to sunbathe. If I get too hot, I go for a swim to cool off. I like to float just below the surface of the water with only my eyes showing above the surface. Don’t be fooled; I may look like a harmless log but you humans should stay far away from me. You can spot me from a safe distance in Malaysia at the Linggi-Rembau River, Kuantan River, Sepetang River, Sarawak River, Bako River, Santubong River, Samarahan River, Batang Lupar River, and Saribas River. You can also see me in Indonesia and as far south as Australia. If you snap any photos or sketch any drawings of me, share them on this Facebook page to show others and also warn them to stay far away!

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You can check out my battle with Steve Irwin in this video!