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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Sub-adult basking on a partly-submerged log next to the water. Several crocodilian species have been shown to exhibit "metachrosis", whereby skin colour can gradually change over a period of time. Basking alligators can appear almost black during basking, which would be beneficial in terms of their ability to absorb both heat and UV rays. Water is also important for temperature regulation in crocodilians, acting as a buffer to extreme temperatures.

Photograph: United States Fish & Wildlife Service

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