ORDER CROCODILIA. 
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 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 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. 
COMMON NAME. 
LOCALITY. 
A SYNOPSIS OF THE CROCODILIANS. 
The measurements given are believed to represent the maximum size attained by each species. 
FAMILY. GENUS. SPECIES. 
Gav-i-al'is gan-get'i-cus . . . 
To-mis'to-ma schle'gel-i 
cat-a-phrac'tus. 
in-ter-me' di-us . 
Gavial 
Family: 
| Indian Gavial, 17 ) Northern India . 
( feet j 
\ Bornean Gavial, skull / Borneo and Suma- 
1 3 feet 3 inches. . . . \ tra - 
\ Sharp-Nosed African I w Africa> 
i Crocodile i 
\ Orinoco Crocodile, 12 ( Venezuela 
I feet * 
Croc-o-di'lus . 
i johns'ton-i Australian Crocodile . . .Australia. 
\rhom’bi-fer \ Cu , ba ? Crocodile ’ 7 / Cuba only . 
1 1 ( teet i 
) American Crocodile, ) Central and South 
) 14 feet i America. 
la • , , \ Florida Crocodile, 14 ( „ . , 
| a. fior-i-dan us j g i nc h es \ Florida. 
nil-ot'i-cus Nile Crocodile Africa generally. 
a-cu'tus. 
| Crocodile 
Family : 
pu-ro sus . . 
, pa-lus'tris . 
i Salt - Water Croco- f 
I dile, 16 feet . 
.Mugger, 12 feet. 
Malayana. 
India. 
«*"**•» I B c S“ aD i 
) Rough-Backed Cai- i 
pis 
tri-go-na'tus . . 
pal-pe-bro'sus . 
man, 6 feet. 
. Banded Caiman . 
Upper Amazon. 
.South America. 
Cai' man. / scle'rops Spectacled Caiman . j Ce America. fi South 
j Black Caiman, 20 ) Quianas ; Brazil 
feet (Bates) i 
1 Broad - Nosed Cai- I Amazon to Rio de 
man i la Plata. 
Chinese Alligator, 
Al'li-ga-tor 
China. 
f Chinese Alligator, 6 j 
J feet I 0111 
-is-sip-pi-en'sis. (Common Alligator, fu n ; te d 
[ 16 feet J 
States. 
