CHAPTER XL 

 ORDER OF CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS 



CROCODILIA 



THE warm regions of the world contain nineteen species of 

 big, burly, bony-armored reptiles, with long tails, power- 

 ful jaws, and tempers as ugly as their own rough backs. These 

 creatures are known collectively as Croc-o-dil'i-ans, and two 

 Families embrace all the gavials, crocodiles, alligators and 

 caimans of both the Old World and the New. 



So pointed is the need for a clear bird's-eye view of this 

 important group of large reptiles, it is necessary to set forth 

 a synopsis of the entire Order. The species will be arranged 

 in a regular series according to the width of their heads, be- 

 ginning with the narrowest. 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE CROCODILIANS 



The measurements given are believed to represent the maximum size attained 



by each species. 



Order Crocodilia 

 gavial family 



COMMON NAME LOCALITY 



J-, . „. ,,. I Indian Gavial, 20 1 t.^ \, ^ i- 



Gav-i-ai IS gan-get i-cus '^ j? ^ I INorthern India. 



„ . ,, ,7,7- ( Bornean Gavial, 1.5 1 Borneo and Su- 



1 o-mis tu-ma .... scale qei-i { » , ) 



\ teet J matra. 



10 



