Generally, it is a large crocodilian, averaging 5 m in length but reaching up to 6 m in rare instances. There are reports of 7 m animals having existed, but these are hard to verify. Juveniles are dark olive brown with black cross-banding on the tail and body. This banding becomes fainter in adults. Adults, however, take a wide range of large vertebrates, including antelope, buffalo, young hippos, and large cats.
Fish often form the greater part of their diet, however.
As with C. porosus , they have a reputation as being man-eaters. A number of deaths and disappearances are attributed to them each year, along with other animals such as hippos and lions. Nile crocodiles will also often scavenge from carcasses, together with a number of other animals, all of which seem to tolerate each others' presence. Whether such a mutual relationship actually exists is hard to determine from the literature and anecdotal reports. Several prey animals have been found wedged under submerged branches and stones, leading to reports that the crocodiles store unwanted prey here until a later date.