It is a species of carnivorous reptile that inhabits the different types of freshwater courses, bogs and swamps
The males measure between 1.8 and 2.5 m in length, and the females 1.4 m. They feed on different species of animals: crustaceans, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and large and small mammals.
Mating occurs in the rainy season. The female makes the nest by agglomerating small amounts of dry vegetation and soil and laying there 15 to 40 eggs. The incubation lasts an average of 13 weeks. At birth, the pups measure about 20 cm.