CHAPTER XXXVI 



THE ORDER OF CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS 



CROCODILIA 



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 Famihes 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 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. 



FAMILY. GENUS. SPECIES. COMMON NAME. LOCALITY. 



i Indian Gavial, 17 Uorthern India. 



( feet ) 



S Bornean Gavial, skull ( Borneo and Suma- 

 ■■■\ 3 feet 3 inches. .. . f ,tr^- 



cat-a-Vhra^tus ] ^""^^oS^. '^'^!'. \ ^^ ^^^ " 



Johns' torwi Australian Crocodile . . .Australia. 



Thmn'hi.fer { ^^^^an Crocodile, 7 j ^uba only. 



,, ( American Crocodile, ) 

 ,'^-''"*«« ) 14feet \ 



< 



s 



Q 

 O 



u 



i 



Q 



O 



Gavial 

 Family : 



(Gav-i-al'is igan-get'i-cus 

 To-'mis'to-ma schlefgel-i . . 



Croc-o-di'lus . 



Central and South 

 America. 



1 Chocodilb , 

 Family : 



1 



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



j Salt - Water Croco- i 

 VO-ro'sus I dile,16feet. 



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



Malayana. . 



\r, i 1 r , , , ■ j Broad-Nosed African ) Equatorial 



Os-te-0-lae mus te-tras'jns \ Crocodile, 6 feet . .\ W. Afric 



Africa. 



... ,j ( Rough-Backed Cai- r ., 

 tri-go-na'tus \ ^|„^ g f^^^ \ Upper Amazon. 



I 'pal-ye-hro' sus Banded Caiman South America. 



' Cai'man / sde'rops Spectacled Caiman . j ^l*^ericT ^°"*'' 



I mger. 

 lat- 



Black Caiman, 20 ^ q^.^^^. ^^^^.^ 

 feet (Bates) 



,.,,., ( Broad - Nosed Cai- ) Amazon to Rio de 

 ,-i-ros tns -j jj^^jj > la Plata. 



AVli-ga-tor. 



si-nen'sis ( CMn^^e Alligator, 6 ^^^^^ 



miss-is-sip-pi-en'sis. ] Common Alligator, (united States. 

 1_ 16 feet j 



317 



