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
DICHOTOMOUS KEY
[German]
This photograph shows the ossified bony bridge between the eyes from which the 'spectacled' caiman derives its name. Looking carefully, you can also see the fourth tooth of each side of the lower jaw projecting upwards and outwards - in alligators these teeth fit into depressions in the upper jaw, but this is not always apparent in some caiman. This floating posture is a favourite of crocodilians, as it exposes only the sensory apparatus on the head (eyes, nostrils) while the rest of the body remains mostly out of view under the surface.
Photograph © Adam Britton
