CROCODOPOLIS     

                       world of crocodilians TM

     SCIENCE · CULTURE · INDUSTRY · NEWS · COMMUNICATION · CONSERVATION

 

 

HOME

 

ABOUT

 

NEWS

 

SHOP

 

SCIENCE

 

FEATURES

 

BLOGS

 

RESCUE

 

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY

 

WEBSOURCES

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY/

FILMOGRAPHY

 

GALLERY

 

CALENDAR 

      

CONTRIBUTORS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                  

 

 

SPECIES LIST

 

 

 

Here they are: Alligators, Caimans, Crocodiles and Gharials, 23 worldwide, and all distinct. 

 

Slender-snouts. Wide snouts. Cold tolerance. Size potential. Dentition. Color. Mating behavior. Scalation. Diet. Vocalization. Location. Nervous system. Skeletal structure. Adaptation. Evolution.

 

These are just a few of the numerous distinctions between some 23 (and possibly more) kinds of crocodilians on Earth. How do scientists keep track, so they may study them? If you're not familiar with the method, here's a simple walk-through.

 

Scientists employ a system called taxonomy, and despite some confusion in its perception, it is simply the classifying, or ordering of animals.

 

NAMES

Determining the taxonomical, or scientific name, of a crocodilian based on scientific order is a simple puzzle. For example, the animal commonly known as the Common/Spectacled Caiman is Caiman (=GENUS) crocodilus (=SPECIES); so, the full name is 

     Caiman crocodilus.

The subspecies of that same crocodilus, most commonly known as the Brown Caiman,  is fuscus;  thus the full name of the subspecies is 

     Caiman crocodilus fuscus.

 

CHANGES

You may have heard or read of a species or subspecies

that is not listed on this page. Such ones have been excluded from the list here because they're generally

not recognized by most professionals since there is not enough data to support a classification as such.

 

The technology used in genetic study is advancing constantly, enabling researchers to discover genetic relationships previously unknown - hence, the

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Bill Moss

 

 

 

classifications are subject to change. Example: One crocodile commonly referred to as the African Slender-snouted is under consideration for genus reclassification (Mecistops); furthermore, it appears that the reptile in Africa known as the Nile Crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus,  may be about to be reclassified into two distinct species by genetic science. The debate on how much influence genetics should have on classification, however, flourishes anew with every laboratory discovery.

 

In order to maintain consistency and avoid confusion with alternate names, the list below attempts to adhere to the rules of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature

 

This following list of the 23 living, or extant, species is reflective of the Linnean taxonomy system; remove the titles, such as "CLASS" or" PHYLUM", and you have the phylogenetic system, which does not recognize characteristics of form, or morphology, that animals have in common, but is based on genetic relationship.

 

Click on each species name (underlined) to view a profile and photographs of that individual crocodilian. (Some links are not active - they'll be added gradually.)      

 -Israel Dupont

 

NOTE

The "nominate" subspecies is the main one; scientific names are usually italicized, with the genus in upper case, species in lower case.

 

Pronunciation of the binomial scientific names need not be difficult: Go here for a simple tutorial. Learn it, and amaze your friends with your linguistic acumen!

 

· THE LIVING CROCODILIANS OF THE WORLD ·

  Scientific Classification                           Most common English name(s)

KINGDOM: Animalia

  PHYLUM: Chordata

    CLASS: Reptilia

      SUPERORDER: Crocodylomorpha

        ORDER: Crocodylia

            DIVISION: Mesoeucrocodylia
             SUBDIVISION: Metasuchia
               INFRADIVISION: Neosuchia
              SUBORDER: Eusuchia
                  

                   FAMILY: Alligatoridae

                     GENUS: Alligator
                        SPECIES: mississippiensis    COMING SOON American Alligator; Florida Alligator
                                       sinensis                COMING SOON Chinese Alligator
                      GENUS: Caiman
                        SPECIES: crocodilus             COMING SOON
                           SUBSPECIES: apaporiensis (possibly extinct) Rio Apaporis (Apaporis River) Caiman/Cayman
                                               crocodilus (nominate) Common Caiman; Spectacled Caiman/Cayman
                                               fuscus Brown Caiman; Dusky Caiman/Cayman
                                       latirostris             COMING SOON Broad-snouted Caiman/Cayman
                                        yacaré                 COMING SOON Yacaré (Jacaré) Caiman/Cayman
                      GENUS: Melanosuchus
                        SPECIES: niger                    COMING SOON Black Caiman/Cayman
                     GENUS: Paleosuchus
                        SPECIES: palpebrosus          COMING SOON Dwarf Caiman/Cayman; Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman/Cayman
                                      trigonatus            COMING SOON Smooth-front(ed) Caiman/Cayman; Schneider's Dwarf Caiman/Cayman; Wedge-head(ed) Caiman

               FAMILY: Crocodylidae

                    SUBFAMILY: Crocodylinae
                     GENUS: Crocodylus
                        SPECIES: acutus                 COMING SOON American Crocodile
                                      cataphractus        COMING SOON African Slender-snouted Crocodile
                                      intermedius         COMING SOON Orinoco Crocodile
                                      johnsoni              COMING SOON Johnston's Crocodile; Johnstone's Crocodile; Australian  Freshwater Crocodile
                                      mindorensis         COMING SOON Philippine Crocodile
                                      moreletii              COMING SOON Morelet's Crocodile; Mexican Crocodile
                                      niloticus               COMING SOON Nile Crocodile; African Crocodile; Black Crocodile
                                      novaeguineae       COMING SOON New Guinea Crocodile
                                      palustris               COMING SOON Mugger Crocodile; Marsh Crocodile; Indian Crocodile
                                      porosus                COMING SOON  Indopacific Crocodile; Saltwater Crocodile; Estuarine Crocodile
                                      rhombifer             COMING SOON Cuban Crocodile

                              siamensis          COMING SOON

Siamese Crocodile
                     GENUS: Osteolaemus
                       SPECIES: tetraspis              COMING SOON Dwarf Crocodile
                          SUBSPECIES: osborni
                                              tetraspis (nominate)
                   SUBFAMILY:Tomistominae                         
                      GENUS: Tomistoma
                        SPECIES: schlegelii             COMING SOON Malayan Gharial/Gharyal; False Gharial/Gharyal; False Gavial, Tomistoma
                 FAMILY: Gavialidae
                     GENUS: Gavialis
                        SPECIES: gangeticus         COMING SOON Indian Gharial/Gharyal; Gharial/Gharyal; Gavial
                 
Revised 11.02.06

REFERENCES:  

Checklist of Crocodilians, Tuatara, and Turtles of the World: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/turtcroclist/chklst1

.htm#Crocodylia; Crocodilians: Natural History & Conservation: http://www.crocodilian.com/; International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) International Code of Zoological Nomenclature: http://www.iczn.org/iczn/index.jsp

Mikko Haaramo's Philogeny Archives:http://www.fmnh.helsinki.

fi/users/haaramo/Metazoa/Deuterostoma/Chordata/Archosauria

/Crocodylia/Crocodyliformes.htm; University of Bristol Department of Earth Sciences MSc Palaeoebiology Programme: http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Fossilgroups/Crocodylomorpha

/Groups.html.

 

 

^ BACK TO TOP

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

|   Translator/Vertaler/Traducteur/Übersetzer/Traduttore   |

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Copyright Notice   |   Site Map/Search   |  Contact

 

Copyright © 2006-2008 Crocodopolis. All rights reserved.