FAMILY:
ALLIGATORIDAE

A. mississippiensis
A. sinensis
C. crocodilus
C. c. apaporiensis
C. c. fuscus
C. latirostris
C. yacare
M. niger
P. palpebrosus
P. trigonatus

FAMILY:
CROCODYLIDAE

C. acutus
C. intermedius
C. johnstoni
C. mindorensis
C. moreletii
C. niloticus
C. novaeguineae
C. palustris
C. porosus
C. rhombifer
C. siamensis
M. cataphractus
O. tetraspis
T. schlegelii

FAMILY:
GAVIALIDAE

G. gangeticus

DICHOTOMOUS KEY
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Captive bred black caiman. This species has suffered considerably from over-hunting and illegal poaching, and much work still needs to be done both to protect remaining habitat (which is disappearing at an alarming rate) and develop captive breeding programs to restock depleted populations. Mercury poisoning poses an additional threat.

Photograph courtesy of University of Boston

ALL IMAGES:
[click on image for enlargement]

	Head portrait of juvenile		Juvenile held in hand		Juveniles in a holding container
	Juvenile's disruptive camouflage patterns		Adult black caiman floating in water		Sub-adult caiman head