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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An aerial view of a sub-adult alligator, providing a good overview of its general morphology. Colour is also notably very dark, and the bright yellow cross-banding seen in younger juveniles is no longer apparent. The pattern of dorsal scutes along the back of the animal can also be made out. The smallish scutes behind the head are termed 'post-occipital', adjacent to the larger 'nuchal' scutes, which run into the 'dorsal' scutes which cover the back of the thorax and abdomen. The 'double-caudal' verticels along the tail eventually give way to 'single-caudal' verticels which run to the tip of the tail. The difference in size between front and rear feet can also be seen from this photograph, including the fact that webbing between the toes of the back feet is extensive, but much less so between the toes of the front feet (unlike A. sinensis in which there is none).

Photograph © Adam Britton

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