The Biology of the Crocodilia 31 
in color when in the green state, and the scales are 
larger and not so artistically formed. The Florida 
and Louisiana skins are almost invariably split 
down the back, or rather along each side of the 
back, so as to preserve the under side in a solid 
piece, but most of the Mexican skins are split down 
the middle of the abdomen, keeping the back 
intact, making what is commonly known as ‘horn 
alligator.’ (See Fig. 15.) 
‘“The skin should be removed soon after death as, 
in warm climates, putrefaction sets in very early 
and the value of the skin is depreciated. After 
removal, the flesh side of the skin is thoroughly 
rubbed with fine salt, and the skin is carefully 
rolled up with the salted side inside and is ready 
for shipment, but must be kept in a dry, cool place. 
Great care must be taken not to cut the hide since 
small cuts that are not noticeable in the raw skin 
may be so conspicuous in the dressed skin as to 
render it of much less value; a large percentage 
of the hides received in the markets are thus 
damaged. 
“Formerly only the ‘belly skin’ was removed, 
by two longitudinal incisions just below the horny 
portion of the back; but it was later found that 
the thick horny skin of the back could be tanned 
nearly as well as the thinner belly skin, so that 
the entire skin is now usually removed by a longi- 
tudinal incision along the mid-ventral line, with 
lateral incisions along each leg to the foot (Fig. 15). 
