#0551 · Unova · Generation 5

Sandile

Desert Croc Pokémon · Ground/Dark-type

Sandile is a Ground/Dark-type Pokémon, the Desert Croc Pokémon, number 551 (#0551) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 0.7 m tall and weighs 15.2 kg.

Sandile is the Desert Croc Pokémon, a small Ground and Dark type that glides through desert sand as if swimming, leaving only its nose and eyes above the surface. A dark membrane around its eyes looks like sunglasses and shields them from the sun.

How to pronounce Sandile

Sandile is pronounced SAN-dile. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Sandile said out loud:

In Japanese it is メグロコ (Meguroco).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Sandile measures 0.7 m and weighs 15.2 kg. It is a light-brown, stubby-legged crocodile with black stripes across its legs, a pink underbelly and a black-tipped tail. The Pokédex says it lies in the sun-warmed sand to stop its body temperature dropping.

Behaviour

Sandile hides under the sand and chomps the legs of prey that walk over it, according to the Moon entry. At sunset it burrows deep and sleeps until sunrise, because the desert gets cold at night. In the anime wild Sandile can be mischievous, but they protect one of their own kind.

Habitat

Sandile lives in deserts, though the Ultra Sun entry says Alola's constant warmth lets it appear elsewhere. In Scarlet and Violet it is found in the Asado Desert, and in The Indigo Disk in the Terarium's Savanna Biome.

Diet

The Ultra Moon entry says Sandile still hunts poorly, so it mostly feeds on whatever has collapsed in the desert, which has earned it the name 'the cleaner of the desert'.

Powers

Its Ability is Intimidate, which lowers foes' Attack on entry, or Moxie, which raises its own after a knockout; Anger Point is hidden. It bites with Bite and Crunch, tunnels with Dig and traps foes with Sand Tomb. Its Attack of 72 is its best stat.

Name origin

Sandile may combine 'sand' and 'crocodile', and possibly play on 'sandal'. The Japanese name is Meguroco (メグロコ), possibly from meguro ('black-eyed') and 'crocodile'.

Design inspiration

Sandile seems to be modelled on a young crocodile, borrowing traits from the Nile crocodile, the spectacled caiman and the slender-snouted crocodile. The eye marking resembles sunglasses, and its swimming-like movement through sand may refer to the sandfish skink. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Sandile evolves into Krokorok at level 29, a level no other Pokémon evolves at, and Krokorok becomes Krookodile at level 40.

In the games

Sandile roams Route 4, the Desert Resort and Relic Castle in Black and White, its debut games. In Legends: Z-A it lives in Wild Zone 8 of the Jaune District, and the Mega Dimension DLC adds it to Hyperspace Lumiose.

In the anime

Ash's future Krookodile debuted as a Sandile wearing sunglasses in 'A Sandile Gusher of Change!', which was also the species' debut.

Fun facts

• Sandile has the lowest base stat total of any Generation V Ground type, at 292.
• The Moon Pokédex says Sandile's favourite food is Trapinch.
• In Pokémon Journeys, Goh catches a Sandile living in the Colossus Ruins after it is beaten by his Scorbunny.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Sandile (Pokémon) · Serebii: Sandile (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 50
• Attack: 72
• Defense: 35
• Sp. Atk: 35
• Sp. Def: 35
• Speed: 65

Sandile’s base stat total is 292. Its highest stat is Attack.

Type matchups

What is Sandile weak to?

Sandile takes extra damage from Water (2×), Grass (2×), Ice (2×), Fighting (2×), Bug (2×), Fairy (2×) moves.

It resists Poison (½×), Rock (½×), Ghost (½×), Dark (½×).

It is immune to Electric, Psychic moves.

Evolution

How does Sandile evolve?

Sandile evolves into Krokorok at level 29.

The whole family: Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile.

• Krokorok evolves into Krookodile at level 40.

Abilities

• Intimidate: Lowers opponents' Attack one stage upon entering battle.
• Moxie: Raises Attack one stage upon KOing a Pokémon.
• Anger Point (hidden ability): Raises Attack to the maximum of six stages upon receiving a critical hit.

Moves

Moves Sandile learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (44)

Sandile can learn 44 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Thief, Facade, Bulldoze, Snarl, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Fling, Endure, Sandstorm, Dig, Brick Break, Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Grass Knot, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Substitute, Crunch, Stealth Rock, Helping Hand, Earth Power, Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Tera Blast, Roar, Sand Tomb, Spite, Lash Out, Double-Edge, Scorching Sands, Skitter Smack, Curse.

Egg moves (4):Aqua Tail, Counter, Double-Edge, Spite.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 180 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Attack effort value.
• Base experience yield: 58.

Pokédex entries

Sandile is small, but its legs and lower body are powerful. Pushing sand aside as it goes, Sandile moves through the desert as if it's swimming. (Shield)

The desert gets cold at night, so when the sun sets, this Pokémon burrows deep into the sand and sleeps until sunrise. (Sword)

Sandile's still not good at hunting, so it mostly eats things that have collapsed in the desert. It's called “the cleaner of the desert.” (Ultra Moon)

Alola, where it's warm all year round, is a comfortable environment for this Pokémon. Sometimes you'll even see it outside of deserts. (Ultra Sun)

It conceals itself in the sand and chomps down on the legs of any prey that unwarily walk over it. Its favorite food is Trapinch. (Moon)

It submerges itself in sand and moves as if swimming. This wise behavior keeps its enemies from finding it and maintains its temperature. (Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lowest base stat total among Ground types in Gen 5: 292.
• Taller than 34% of all Pokémon (0.7 m).
• Heavier than 36% of all Pokémon (15.2 kg).
• Base stat total 292, ranked #890 of 1,025.
• One of 4 Pokémon that are both Ground and Dark.
• One of 147 brown Pokémon.
• Number 58 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 54 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 180: about 23.5% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 9 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Sandile (Pokémon), Serebii: Sandile (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (SAN-dile): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Ground-type Pokémon · Dark-type Pokémon · Ground/Dark weaknesses and matchups · Unova region guide · Intimidate ability · Moxie ability · Anger Point ability · Compare Sandile · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 5 Ground-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Dark-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with S · Crocodile Pokémon

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