SNAKES, LIZARDS, TURTLES, AND CROCODILES 265 



the United States. The American alligator may grow to be 

 ten or twelve feet long, and is hunted for its skin which makes 

 strong, beautifully marked leather that takes a fine polish. 

 The wholesale slaughter of these animals for their skin has 

 so greatly reduced their numbers that extinction is threatened 

 unless measures are taken to protect them in certain preserves. 



The crocodiles are more widely distributed than are the 

 alligators. The American crocodile, Crocodilus americanus, 

 is found in Florida, Mexico and South America. It differs 

 from the alligator in having a longer, narrower head. 



The African crocodile, C. niloticus, is a ferocious species 

 often attacking man and is greatly feared by the natives of 

 that continent. There are several other crocodile kinds in 

 various parts of the world, some of them reaching a length of 

 twenty feet or more. The skin of many of the species is 

 used for leather. 



The Indian gavial, Gavialis gangeticus, common in the 

 Ganges, attains a length of twenty feet or more, and is reputed 

 to feed on the bodies of children that are thrown into the river 

 by the natives. Its natural food is fish. It is distinguished 

 from the alligators and crocodiles by having a long slender 

 snout. 



Chameleons, Lizards and Snakes. The order Squamata 

 is divided into three sub-orders: the Rhiptoglossi, including the 

 chameleons, the Sanria, including the lizards, and the Serpentes, 

 including the snakes. The true chameleons differ from the 

 other members of this order in several respects. The body is 

 laterally compressed, the legs are long and slender, and the toes 

 are grouped so that two of them are opposed to the other three. 

 The tongue can be projected for a remarkable distance for 

 capturing insects. Chameleons are of interest because of their 

 power of rapidly changing their colors. The color is usually 

 greenish, but under certain stimuli, such as light and tempera- 

 ture, the color may change to varied shades simulating the 

 surrounding objects. This change of color is, seemingly at 

 least, partially under control of the animal. None of the mem- 

 bers of this sub-order occurs in America, but there is found in 

 the southern states a beautiful green lizard, Anolis principalis, 



