CHAPTER XXXVI 



THE ORDER OF CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS 



CROC OB ILIA 



The warm regions of the world contain nineteen species of big, burly, bony-armored reptiles, 

 with long tails, powerful 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 ga vials, 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 nec- 

 essary 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, beginning with the narrowest. 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE CROCODILIANS. 



The measurements given are believed to represent the maximum size attained by each species. 



< 



B 



Q 

 O 



o 



§ 



a 



Q 

 & 

 O 



Gavial 

 Family : 



I Crocodile , 

 Family : 



COMMON NAME. 



LOCALITY. 



Gav-i-al'is gan-gd 'i-cus . . . 



To-mis'to-ma... .... .schle'gel-i 



' cat-a-phrac'tus. 



in-ter-me'di-us . 

 I johns'ton-i . . . . 



\ Indian Gavial, 17 ) ,. ., T ,. 



• - , - Northern India. 



( feet s 



i Bornean Gavial, skull j Borneo and Suraa- 



( 3 feet 3 inches I tra - 



( Sharp-Nosed African J w A£rfca 

 I Crocodile \ 



( Orinoco Crocodile, 12 ) Venezuela . 



I feet ) 



. . Australian Crocodile . . .Australia. 



Croc-o-di'lus . 



I j, n. ■ t \ Cuban Crocodile, 7 / „, . _ „„,_ 



| rhom'bi-fer < f . ' > Cuba only. 



,. j American Crocodile, \ Central and South 

 a-cu tus | -j^ j ee j. > America. 



I j, ■ , , ( Florida Crocodile, 14 / _. . . 



I a - flor-l-dan'us ] feet g incheg '_ [ Florida. 



nil-ot'i-cus Nile Crocodile Africa generally. 



, S Salt - Water Croco- \ ,, , 

 VO-ro'ms j ^ w feet \ Malayana. 



v pa-lus'tris Mugger, 12 feet India. 



I Os-te-o-h 



Cai'man. 



•'mui tptra*'m« S Broad-Nosed African ) Equatorial 



' mus - te ~ tms P ls j Crocodile, 6 feet ..] W. Alrica. 



j Rough-Backed Cai- ) T7 



. , . i D „ ? J- Upper Amazon. 



I man, 6 feet ) 



tri-go-na'tus 



1 pal-pe-bro'sus Banded Caiman South America 



scle'rops 



20 



Spectacled Caiman . j ° B X£££ d South 



I niger 



lat-i-ros'tris 

 si-nen'sis. . 



Guianas : Brazil. 



Al'li-ga-tor. . . 



Black Caiman, 



feet (Bates) \ 



j Broad - Nosed Cai- \ Amazon to Rio de 

 / man ) la Plata. 



{Chinese Alligator, 6 1 „, . 

 feet ...!.. I chma - 

 Common Alligator, j Tj n i teQ states 

 16 feet J 



317 



