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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Adult basking on a grassy mat, close to the water. The slightly agape jaws may be serving several purposes. Gaping may play a role in temperature regulation, so that evaporative cooling occurs from the moist, exposed palate. This serves primarily to keep the head and brain cool while the rest of the body warms. Gaping is also a threat response in many animals, alligators included. More severe threats are accompanied by much hissing.

Photograph © Tom Arnold, © Aris Multimedia Entertainment, Inc 1993.

ALL IMAGES:
[click on image for enlargement]

	Alligator habitat in Florida Everglades		Basking alligator on grass		Drawing of adult alligator
	Alligator on grass behind tree		Sub-adult basking on floating log		Leucistic hatchling (b&w)
	Head of large adult		Head of swimming adult		Front view of adult asleep on sand
	Adult floating in water		Sub-adult basking on floating log		Head silhouette in water
	Leucistic adult alligator		Dorsal view of elongated alligator head		Top-down view of sub-adult alligator
	Tightly-packed sub-adults in water		Close-up of juvenile alligator eye		Close-up of juvenile alligator head