Saltwater crocodiles are one of the most infamous inhabitants of mangrove areas. They do not generally nest in mangroves but are found nesting in vegetation fringing mangrove areas and vegetation where rivers adjoin coastal flood plains. On the rising tide these reptiles come into the mangroves to feed. Juvenile crocodiles feed on crabs, prawns, mudskippers and other small fish. As they mature their diet changes to include large mud crabs, birds and mammals.
Sea snakes are common visitors to mangrove forests as are terrestrial snakes.
Pythons tend to be occasional visitors to the mangroves, while the Little File Snake, the Mangrove Snake and the White-bellied Mangrove Snake tend to use the mangroves as their primary habitat. The Mangrove Monitor and the Rusty Monitor, which feed on insects, fish, crabs and sometimes birds, also use the mangroves as their primary habitat. Mudskippers are one of the few animals which are restricted to mangrove environments. They burrow into the soil and can swim like fish, but, using their pectoral fins, can also climb tree roots and move across the soil. In contrast, most other fish species which inhabit mangrove creeks are also found in the coastal seas, entering the mangroves during a particular stage of their life cycle.