Crocodilians:(Crocodiles, Alligators, Caimans,

and Gharials)

By: Saagar Parikh

What are crocodilians?• The Crocodilia or Crocodylia are an order of large,

predatory, semiaquatic reptiles. • They appeared 83.5 million years ago in the Late

Cretaceous period and are the closest living relatives of birds.

• Large, solidly built, lizard-like reptiles, crocodilians have long flattened snouts, laterally compressed tails, and eyes, ears, and nostrils at the top of the head. Their skin is thick and covered in non-overlapping scales. They have conical, peg-like teeth and a powerful bite. They swim well and can move on land in a "high walk" and a "low walk", while smaller species are even capable of galloping. Conservation

Status

Alligators

American Alligator• Scientific Name: Alligator

mississippiensis• Mass: 507 lbs. (Male) 201 lbs. (Female) • Length: 11–15 ft. (Male) 9.8 ft. (Female)• Distribution: Southeastern United States

Chinese Alligator• Scientific Name: Alligator sinensis

• Mass: 80 lbs. • Length: 5 ft. • Distribution: South of Yangtze River,

China

Caimans

Black Caiman• Scientific Name: Melanosuchus niger• Mass: 660-880 lbs. • Length: 9.2-14 ft.• Distribution: Amazon basin, and

other freshwater habitats of South America

Broad-Snouted Caiman• Scientific Name: Caiman latirostris

• Mass: 64-137 lbs.• Length: 6.6-8.2 ft.• Distribution: Eastern and Central South

America

Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman• Scientific Name:  Paleosuchus

palpebrosus• Mass: 13-15 lbs.• Length: 4.6 ft. (Male) 3.9 ft. (Female) • Distribution: Northern and Central South

America

Smoothed-Fronted Caiman• Scientific Name: Paleosuchus trigonatus• Mass: 20-44 lbs. • Length: 3.9-5.2 ft.• Distribution: Amazon and Orinoco Basins

in South America

Spectacled Caiman• Scientific Name: Caiman crocodilus

• Mass: 15-88 lbs.• Length: 5.9-6.6 ft. (Male) 4.9-5.6 ft.

(Female)• Distribution: Central and South America

• Scientific Name: Caiman yacare• Mass: 128 lbs. (Male) 31-51 lbs. (Female)• Length: 6.6-8.2 ft. (Male) 4.6 ft. (Female)• Distribution: Central South America

Yacare Caiman

Crocodiles

Dwarf Crocodile• Scientific Name: Osteolaemus tetraspis

• Mass: 40-71 lbs.• Length: 4.9-6.2 ft.• Distribution: Sub-Saharan West

Africa and West Central Africa

American Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus acutus

• Mass: 842 lbs. (Male) 381 lbs. (Female) • Length: 9.5-13.8 ft. (Male) 8.2-9.8 ft.

(Female)• Distribution: The Caribbean Islands,

Southern Florida, the Greater Antilles, Southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Ecuador

Australian Freshwater Crocodile

• Scientific Name: Crocodylus johnsoni• Mass: 150 lbs. (Male) 88 lbs. (Female)• Length: 7.5-9.8 ft. (Male) 6.9 ft. (Female)• Distribution: Western

Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory in Australia

Cuban Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus rhombifer

• Mass: 150–180 lbs.• Length: 6.9–7.5 ft.• Distribution: Cuba's Zapata Swamp and

the Isle of Youth

False Gharial• Scientific Name: Tomistoma schlegelii• Mass: 420-460 lbs. (Male) 205 lbs. (Female)• Length: 11.8-12.8 ft. (Male) 10.6 ft.

(Female)• Distribution: Peninsular

Malaysia, Sarawak, and Indonesia (Sumatra, and Borneo), unknown if they remain in Java

Morelet’s Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus moreletii

• Mass: 84–128 lbs. • Length: 13-14 ft. • Distribution: Central America and along

the Gulf of Mexico stretching through Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, and South Texas and along the Rio Grande.

Mugger Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus palustris

• Mass: 88-440 lbs. • Length: 13-16 ft. • Distribution: Parts of

India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, the southern tip of Iran

New Guinea Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus

novaeguineae • Mass: N/A• Length: 11 ft. (Male) 8.9 ft. (Female)• Distribution: Papua New Guinea, Papua,

and West Papua

Nile Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus niloticus • Mass: 150-1,540 lbs.• Length: 9.2-16.6 ft.• Distribution: Most of Africa, Madagascar,

and the Mediterranean

Orinoco Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus intermedius

• Mass: 838-1,400 lbs. (Male) 496-699 lbs. (Female)

• Length: 12-16 ft. (Male) 9.8-10.8 ft. (Female)

• Distribution: Orinoco River basin in Colombia and Venezuela, Trinidad, and the Llanos Foothills

Philippine Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus mindorensis

• Mass: N/A• Length: 10 ft.• Distribution: Scattered Marshes

throughout the Philippines

Saltwater Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus porosus

• Mass: 880–3,000 lbs.• Length: 14-17 ft. (Male) 9.8 ft. (Female)• Distribution: Parts of India, Sri Lanka,

Indochina, and much of Indonesia and Australia

Slender-Snouted Crocodile• Scientific Name: Mecistops cataphractus

• Mass: 276-717 lbs.• Length: 8.2 ft.• Distribution: Parts of Africa

Siamese Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus siamensis

• Mass: 88-154 lbs.• Length: 6.9 ft.• Distribution: Indonesia, Brunei, East

Malaysia, Laos Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam

Gharials

Indian Gharial• Scientific Name: Gavialis gangeticus • Mass: 351-551 lbs.• Length: 9.8-16.4 ft. on average (Male) 8.9-

12.3 ft. on average (Female)• Distribution: Few national parks across

parts of India and Nepal