This species was named for Sub-Inspector Robert Arthur Johnstone of the Queensland Police. Unfortunately, Krefft misspelled the name "johnsoni" in his 1873 description, and since the misspelling occurred several times in the original description, it cannot be considered a typographical error. Under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature the original name must stand as Crocodylus johnsoni until the ICZN is petitioned to formally change the spelling. However, no such restriction applies to common names, which here is correctly recorded as 'Johnstone's Crocodile.' In Australia, it usually is called the 'Freshwater Crocodile' or simply as the 'Freshie.'

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