Types of Crocodiles and Alligators

The American alligator is a giant crocodilian reptile endemic to the Southeastern United States. Living in the bodies of freshwater, the American alligator is much larger than the Chinese alligator. The other names to American alligators are gators and common alligators. These apex predators feed on fish, amphibians, other reptiles, birds, and mammals.

The American alligator lives in the southeastern United States. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, its range runs from coastal North Carolina to central Texas.

It prefers slow freshwater rivers, swamps, marshes and lakes. It has no salt glands, so it can handle salt water only for short periods.

The taxonomy classification for the American alligator was done by François Marie Daudin (French Zoologist) in 1802.

This species was once close to extinction. It first received federal protection in 1967. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that nearly 5 million now live in the southeastern US, with about 1.25 million in Florida alone.

The Chinese alligators are also known as the Yangtze alligator or the muddy dragon, and they are endemic to China. Inhabiting freshwater, the Chinese alligator’s range is restricted to 6 regions in the province of Anhui and possibly the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. These carnivorous opportunistic feeders prey on a variety of different animals depending on what is available.

In 1879, Albert-Auguste Fauvel, a French naturalist, described the Chinese alligator in his paper “Alligators in China“.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo lists it as Critically Endangered. Its wild population may be fewer than 150 animals. It digs long tunnels with several chambers, entrances and pools.

The black caiman is another enormous crocodile, along with the American crocodile growing up to 16 feet in length. This carnivorous reptile prefers to habitat on the slow-moving rivers, lakes, Amazon basin, and other freshwater habitats of South America. Juveniles start with white and yellow pale banding on the flanks, and it turns into almost black as an adult, hence the name. Black caimans have a generalist diet as apex predators and can take virtually any terrestrial and riparian animals in their territory. Sometimes, they cannibalize juveniles of their own kind.

Johann Baptist von Spix was a German biologist who classified the black caiman as one of the crocodile species in 1825.

The Broad-snouted caiman is mainly seen in eastern and central South American countries, including southeastern Brazil, northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. These freshwater crocodiles are usually in still or very slow-moving waters. It feeds primarily on small invertebrates, turtles, and snails.

François Marie Daudin, a French naturalist, added the Broad-snouted caiman to the binomial classification in 1802 as a crocodile species.

Cuvier’s dwarf caiman is one of the smallest crocodiles distributed in northern and central South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. It lives in riverine forests, flooded forests near lakes, and fast-flowing rivers and streams. The musky caiman, the dwarf caiman, and the smooth-fronted caiman are the common names of this freshwater croc. Due to its small size (up to 4 feet long), this crocodile is kept in captivity as a pet. They feed on invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and mollusks.

Georges Cuvier, a French naturalist, described this species in 1807. It was later named in his honor.

The Spectacled Caiman got its name from a spectacle-like ridge between its eyes. The other names are the white caiman, common caiman, and speckled caiman. These freshwater brownish and greenish crocodiles’ diet varies from season to season ranging from crabs, fish, mammals, and snails. This Spectacled Caiman species is native to Latin America.

In 1758, Carl Linnaeus, a famous Swedish zoologist, added the Spectacled caiman into the binomial classification as a valid crocodile species.

The Schneider’s Dwarf Caiman is also called Schneider’s smooth-fronted caiman. Local names include cachirre and jacaré-coroa. It is one of the smaller crocodilians. According to Animal Diversity Web at the University of Michigan, males reach 1.7 to 2.3 m (5.6 to 7.5 ft).

Females usually stay under 1.4 m (4.6 ft). It lives in cool, fast-flowing forest streams in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Its range runs from Peru in the west to French Guiana in the east.

Adults eat fish, birds, reptiles and mammals, even porcupines and pacas. Females often build their mound nests next to or on top of termite mounds.

In 1801, Johann Gottlob Schneider, a German naturalist and classical scholar, described this caiman as a new species. The IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group lists it as Least Concern because it is widespread and still common in many areas.

The yacare caiman is found in South American countries like Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. These freshwater reptiles live in rivers, swamps, and lakes. They are solitary animals but are often seen in groups.

The other names are jacare caiman, Spanish yacaré, Paraguayan caiman, piranha caiman, red caiman, and southern spectacled caiman.

The French naturalist, François Marie Daudin, added Yacare caiman as another crocodile species into the taxonomy in 1802.

The American crocodile is one of the most widespread crocodile species in the Americas (North and South). These crocodiles have a tolerance to saltwater due to salt glands under their tongue. As a result, they thrive in saltwater swamps, lagoons, islets and cays, and small islands. Weighing up to 2000 lbs, American crocodiles are usually shy around people.

In 1807, Georges Cuvier, a French naturalist, added the American crocodile to the binomial classification.

The Australian Freshwater Crocodile is also known as Johnstone’s crocodile or freshie. These freshies are endemic to the northern region of the Australian continent. Diet-wise these freshwater crocodiles do not prefer humans, so not-man-eaters; however, they can deliver a nasty bite in self-defense if within their vicinity. They dine on fish, birds, bats, reptiles, and mammals.

Gerard Krefft, an Australian zoologist, named this species in 1873.

The Central African Slender-snouted Crocodile has a long, thin snout. Its name, leptorhynchus, means “slender snout” in Greek. It lives in forested rivers from Cameroon and Gabon east to Lake Tanganyika, across the Congo Basin. It eats mostly fish and water birds, but it will also take small mammals and even primates. Females build mound nests within 10 m of the water and lay 13 to 21 eggs.

Tidbit: Project Mecistops, a conservation group that studies these crocodiles, reports that its populations split from the West African slender-snouted crocodile more than 7 million years ago. Captive pairs even “duet”, trading bellows that sound like revving engines.

In 1835, Edward Turner Bennett, an English zoologist, described this crocodile as Crocodylus leptorhynchus. It was later merged with the West African species. A 2018 study restored it as its own species. Healthy populations remain in protected areas of Gabon, but numbers have dropped in other places.

The Cuban crocodile is one of the small-medium species and endemic to Cuba. Highly aggressive despite its modest stature, it is dangerous to humans on their territories. They prefer freshwater swamps, rivers, and marshes. Feeds on fish, turtles, and mammals tend to perform cooperative hunting as a pack to take down the prey. These crocs are super intelligent animals with developed cerebral cortex where in captive environments, they can be taught tricks and suggesting intelligence. The Cuban crocodiles are listed as Critically Endangered (CR) by IUCN due to extreme hunting by humans.

The world-famous French naturalist, Georges Cuvier, took the honors to name this crocodile species into taxonomy in 1807.

The dwarf crocodile is an African crocodile, and it is the smallest living freshwater crocodile species. The African dwarf crocodile and bony crocodile are other common names for this crocodile species. The dwarf crocodile is mainly nocturnal and timid; they hide in the pools or burrows during the daytime. Dwarf crocs tend to feed on fish, crabs, frogs, insects, lizards, water birds, bats, and more as generalist predators. Dwarf crocodiles live in tropical West and Central Africa, from Senegal to Gabon.

An American herpetologist, Edward Drinker Cope, took the honors in naming this crocodile in 1861.

Morelet’s crocodile is also called the Mexican crocodile. These freshwater crocodiles are primarily found in the Atlantic regions of Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Highly opportunistic, these Mexican crocs eat anything that comes into their territories, including small mammals (tapirs, goats, dogs, and cats), birds, other reptiles, and crustaceans. Sometimes they are cannibalistic towards their species.

Gabriel Bibron and André Marie Constant Duméril, two French zoologists, took honors in naming Morelet’s crocodile into taxonomy in 1851.

The Mugger Crocodile gets its name from the Hindi word magar, which means crocodile. The names Mugger and Magar are both used for this medium-sized freshwater crocodile of the Indian subcontinent.

These ‘Vulnerable IUCN status’ crocodiles prey on insects, snakes, monkeys, squirrels, rodents, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, and dead animals in dry seasons. Currently, they are protected by laws in Iran, India, and Sri Lanka.

A French herpetologist, René Lesson, classified the mugger crocodile into the taxonomy in 1831.

The New Guinea Crocodile is one of the small crocodile species primarily found in the northern part of New Guinea island. They live in freshwater swamps and lakes. Active in the night, New Guinea crocodiles feed on fish and small animals. Although these crocodiles were over-hunted for their valuable skin in the mid 20th century, they are in the Least Concern (LC) status with the new conservation measures in place.

Karl Patterson Schmidt, an American herpetologist, classified this crocodile species in 1928 and another in 1935 (Philippine crocodile).

The Nile Crocodile is the most popular crocodile species in the world. Nile crocodiles live mainly in freshwater across sub-Saharan Africa, including lakes, rivers, swamps, and marshes. This largest freshwater predator of Africa is considered the second-largest extant reptile after the saltwater crocodile. Like other crocodiles listed above, these opportunistic ambush predators are very aggressive and have a powerful bite with conical teeth. Nile crocodiles can take down almost anything within their territories, including fish species, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

An Austrian naturalist, Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti, named this crocodile species into the Crocodilia order in 1768.

The Orinoco crocodiles can be found only in freshwater regions, particularly in Colombia and Venezuela around the Orinoco River and its surroundings. These are critically endangered crocodiles due to extensive hunting for their skins in the last 200 years. Orinoco crocodiles are primarily piscivorous (i.e., fish-eater), but they can also prey on other reptiles, birds, mammals, or even other caimans. These dig holes on the ground to lay their eggs, similar to the Nile or other saltwater crocodiles.

In 1819, M. L. Graves described this crocodile as a new species.

The Osborn’s Dwarf Crocodile is also called the Congo dwarf crocodile. It lives only in the Congo Basin. It prefers dense swamps and flooded forests. Dwarf crocodiles rarely grow longer than 2 m (6.6 ft). This one hunts at night and spends the day hidden in small pools or deep burrows. Dwarf crocodiles eat mostly invertebrates, especially crustaceans.

Tidbit: Small as it is, researchers at the Tropical Conservation Institute at Florida International University call it the top predator of the Congo Basin’s peat swamp forests. Sadly, tens of thousands are traded for meat each year. Some are sold as far away as European markets.

According to the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group, Karl Patterson Schmidt, an American herpetologist, described this crocodile in 1919 from the Ituri Forest of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

For decades it was treated as part of the dwarf crocodile. Studies later found clear differences between the two, and it is now recognized as a species of its own.

The Philippine crocodile is also called Mindoro crocodile, the Philippine freshwater crocodile, bukarot, or buwaya. Endemic to the Philippines, it is one of the two Filipino crocodiles. Critically endangered due to over-exploitation and unsustainable fishing methods, these golden-brown freshwater bukarots are conserved by the Mabuwaya foundation.

Karl Patterson Schmidt, an American herpetologist, added the Philippine crocodile to the binomial classification as a valid crocodile species in 1935.

Saltwater crocodiles live along coasts and estuaries across India’s east coast, Southeast Asia, northern Australia and Micronesia. Although IUCN listed this crocodile as Least Concern (LC), it is threatened by illegal hunting for its skins.

The saltwater crocodiles are the largest living reptiles, growing up to 21 feet and weighing around 2900 lbs.

The other names of this opportunistic and hyper-carnivorous ambush predator are estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile, or saltie.

This crocodile can take down even sharks once it’s on their territories and preys on pelagic species, fish species, crustaceans, reptiles, birds, mammals even humans.

Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider, a German naturalist, added the Saltwater crocodile into binomial classification in 1801.

The Siamese Crocodile is another medium-sized freshwater endemic to Asian countries, including Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The other nicknames are Siamese freshwater crocodile, Singapore small-grain, and soft-belly. Siamese crocs prey mainly on fish, snakes, amphibians, and small mammals.

A German naturalist, Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider, had added the Siamese crocodile into the taxonomy in 1801.

The West African Crocodile was long lumped in with the Nile crocodile. It is smaller and less aggressive than its famous cousin. It lives in rivers, lakes and lagoons across West and Central Africa. It is rare in the Nile today.

Tidbit: This may be the sacred crocodile of ancient Egypt. The Natural History Museum of Utah notes that crocodile mummies from three burial sites all turned out to be this species. Egyptians may have kept them in temples to the god Sobek, where they were fed and decked with jewels.

In 1807, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, a French naturalist, noticed that mummified crocodiles had slimmer snouts and named them as a separate species. Scientists rejected the idea for about 200 years.

In 2011, a Fordham University study used DNA from modern crocodiles and museum mummies up to 2,000 years old to prove him right.

The West African slender-snouted crocodile is one of 6 crocodile species of Africa. The West African slender-snouted crocodile is medium-sized with a very long, slender snout used to catch fish. They prefer to habitat in dense, vegetated bodies of freshwater. Currently, IUCN has given the status of Critically Endangered due to the declining population.

Georges Cuvier, a French naturalist, named the West African slender-snouted crocodile species into taxonomy in 1825.

The Gharial is the fish-eating crocodile from the northern Indian subcontinent, including India and Nepal. This longest freshwater crocodile is about 20 feet in length. The name Gharial comes from the Indian word Ghara, an earthenware pot to store water resembles the boss at the end of the snout. Unfortunately, the wild gharial population has faded drastically due to loss of habitats from sand mining and depletion of fish resources. As a result, the IUCN upgraded its status to Critically Endangered (CR) in 2007.

A German naturalist, Johann Friedrich Gmelin, had classified the Gharial into taxonomy in 1789.

The Malayan Gharial is also called the False Gharial or the Sunda Gharial. It lives in freshwater. It is endemic to the Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, and Java islands. Currently, it is listed as Vulnerable by IUCN due to the drainage of its freshwater swamplands and clearance of surrounding rainforests. This crocodile has not been studied in detail until recent times. The false Gharial has a generalist diet and preys on fish, cows, small aquatic animals, proboscis monkeys, deer, water birds, and other reptiles.

The taxonomy classification for the False Gharial was done by Salomon Müller, a German naturalist, in 1838.