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]
From above, the shape of the caiman's head is not dissimilar to that of alligators, being relatively broad and short. The ossified bony ridge between the eyes is also apparent. The post-occipital and nuchal scales behind the head, which can be used to identify most species fairly reliably, can be seen: 2 to 3 rows of 6 to 8 post-occipitals, 4 to 5 transverse rows of nuchal scales, which are continuous with the dorsal scutes along the back.
Photograph © Adam Britton
