Order Crocodylia
Family Crocodylidae
| English name Scientific name |
Size (i) | Geographical distribution |
Status (ii) | Nest type |
Skin (iii) features |
| American crocodile Crocodylus acutus |
4.6 | Parts of
central and South America and Caribbean |
E | Earth mound or hole |
Medium to small scales No osteoderm |
| African slender snouted croc. C. cataphractus |
4.0 | West and Central Africa Mainly in rain forest. |
I | Mound | Osteoderms in front half of belly. Large to Medium scales. Flanks free of bone. |
| Orinoco croc. C. intermedius |
6+ | Orinoco River system of S. America |
E | Hole | Similar to C. acutus. |
| Australian freshwater croc. C. johnsoni |
3 | Northern Australia |
V | Hole | Large belly scales and some osteoderms but still commercially useful. |
| Philippines croc. C. mindorensis |
3 | Philippines | E | Mound | Similar to New Guinea crocodile. |
| Morelet's croc. C. moreletii |
3 | Central America |
E | Mound | No osteoderms in belly. Good quality |
| Nile croc. C. niloticus |
5+ | Africa south of Sahara |
V | Hole | Large animals may have belly osteoderms. Populations vary. Medium to large scales. Main commercial skin of Africa |
| New Guinea croc. c. novaeguineae |
3.5 | Papua New Guinea & Irian Jaya |
V | Mound | No osteoderms in belly. Large scales. |
| Marsh croc. or mugger C. palustris |
4+ | Indian sub- continent to Pakistan, Iran & Nepal. |
V | Hole | Few osteoderms. Medium to Large scales. |
| Estuarine or Saltwater croc. C. porosus |
6+ | India, east through coastal southeast Asia to N. Australia |
E | Mound | No osteoderms. Small scale. Most valuable. |
| Cuban croc. C. rhombifer |
3.5+ | Cuba. Mainly in large enclosures and hybridizing with C. acutus |
E | Hole or earth mound |
No osteoderms. Small to medium scales. |
| Siamese croc. C. siamensis |
4 | Parts of south- east Asia |
E | Mound | No osteoderms. Small to medium scales. |
| African dwarf croc. Osteolaemus tetraspis |
2 | West and central Africa. Rain forest zone |
I | Mound | Large scales extensively ossified. |
| False gharial Tomistoma Schlegelii |
5 | Malay Peninsula | E | Mound | Large scales. Osteoderms may be present according to some authorities. |
| Family Gavialidae Gharial Gavialis gangeticus |
6+ | Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan |
E | Hole | Small scales. Conflicting reports on presence of osteoderms. |
| Family Alligatoridae American alligator Alligator mississippiensis |
5 | Southeast U.S.A. |
N.L | Hole | No ossific- ation. Medium sized scales |
| Chinese alligator A. sinensis |
2 | China | E | Mound | Few osteoderms in belly skin |
| Spectacled caiman Caiman crocodilus |
2.5 | Norther parts of South America |
V(iv) | Mound | Belly skin heavily ossi- fied. Flanks and neck only can be given a classic finish. |
| Broad nosed caiman Caiman latirostris |
3 | southeastern parts of South America |
E | Mound | Ossifications in belly skin of larger animals only. Belly skins less than about 1.2m long not usually ossified at all and good quality. |
| Black caiman Melanosuchus niger |
6 | Amazonian basin of South America |
E | Mound | As for C. latirostris BUT, because of larger size, flank skins also more val- uable. The back skin of both species is suitable for a special 'hornback' finish. |
| Dwarf caiman Paleosuchus palpebrosus |
1.5 | South America Orinoco and Amazon basins |
N.L | Mound | Belly and flank skin heavily ossified. |
| Smooth fronted caiman Paleosuchus trigonatus |
2 | South America Orinoco and Amazon basins |
N.L | Mound | Belly and fland skin heavily ossified |
(i) Maximum size in metres. May be exceptional and most living specimens may be much
smaller.
(ii) As listed in IUCN Red Data Book (1982)
E= Endangered. In danger of extinction and survival unlikely if the causal factors
continue operating.
V= Vulnerable. Believed likely to move into 'Endangered' category in the near future if
the causal factors continue operating.
I= Indeterminate. Known to be 'Endangered' 'Vulnerable' or 'Rare' but riot enough
information to say which. Species marked 'N.L.' are not listed as they are thought not to
be in any of the three categories.
(iii) Comments from Fuchs (1975) or IUCN Red Data Book (1982)
(iv) This includes distinct subspecies. Some authorities consider at least one of of them to be a separate species. All are listed as 'Vulnerable' or 'Intederminate'.
