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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The head of a juvenile alligator. The relative proportions of different parts of the body grow at different rates in alligators as in other animals, so that adults can have quite different shaped heads (for example) compared with juveniles. In alligators, the snout grows relatively much more rapidly than the brain-case, and this is most notably seen in a change in the relative size of the eyes compared with the rest of the head. Juveniles have large eyes for their head size, adding to their appealing nature (behaviourally relevant in those animals in which maternal care of offspring is important) - this may not enhance the survivability of juvenile crocodilians in crocodilian circles, but it can be used to promote their cause to humans.

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