Crocodilia is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, which includes true crocodiles, the alligators, and caimans; as well as the gharial and false gharial. A member of this order is called a crocodilian, or colloquially a crocodile.

Three extant crocodilian species clockwise from top-left: saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), and gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)

The 9 genera and 28 species of Crocodilia are split into 3 subfamilies: Alligatoridae, alligators and caimans; Crocodylidae, true crocodiles; and Gavialidae, the gharial and false gharial.

Conventions

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IUCN Red List categories
Conservation status
 EX Extinct (0 species)
 EW Extinct in the wild (0 species)
 CR Critically Endangered (7 species)
 EN Endangered (1 species)
 VU Vulnerable (3 species)
 NT Near threatened (0 species)
 LC Least concern (13 species)
Other categories
 DD Data deficient (0 species)
 NE Not evaluated (4 species)

Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the crocodilian's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN red list for that species unless otherwise noted. All extinct species or subspecies listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol "†". Population figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Classification

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The order Crocodilia consists of 28 extant species belonging to 9 genera. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species. Modern molecular studies indicate that the 9 genera can be grouped into 3 families.

Family Alligatoridae (Alligators and caimans)

Family Crocodylidae (True crocodiles)

Family Gavialidae (Gharial and false gharial)

Crocodilians

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Family Alligatoridae

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The extant Alligatoridae can be recognised by the broad snout, in which the fourth tooth of the lower jaw cannot be seen when the mouth is closed.[1]

Genus Alligator Cuvier, 1807 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
American alligator

 

A. mississippiensis
Daudin, 1801
Southeastern United States
 
Size: up to 450 kg (990 lb)

Habitat: Wetlands (inland), intertidal marine, and coastal marine[2]

Diet: [2]
 LC 


750,000–1,060,000  [2]

Chinese alligator

 

A. sinensis
Fauvel, 1879
Eastern China
 
Size: up to 45 kg (99 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[3]

Diet: [3]
 CR 


50–100  [3]

Genus Caiman Spix, 1825 – three species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Spectacled caiman

 

C. crocodilus
Linnaeus, 1758
Northern South America and Central America
 
Size: up to 45 kg (99 lb)

Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, and inland wetlands[4]

Diet: [4]
 LC 


1,000,000  [4]

Broad-snouted caiman

 

C. latirostris
Daudin, 1802
Southeastern South America
 
Size: up to 50 kg (110 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands and intertidal marine[5]

Diet: [5]
 LC 


500,000  [5]

Yacare caiman

 

C. yacare
Daudin, 1802
Central and southern South America
 
Size: up to 60 kg (130 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[6]

Diet: [6]
 LC 


2,000,000–5,000,000  [6]

Genus Melanosuchus Gray, 1862 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Black caiman

 

M. niger
Spix, 1825
Northern South America
 
Size: up to 500 kg (1,100 lb)

Habitat: [7]

Diet: [7]
 LC 


Roughly 1,000,000  [7]

Genus Paleosuchus Gray, 1862 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Cuvier's dwarf caiman

 

P. palpebrosus
Cuvier, 1807
Northern and central South America
 
Size: typically 6–7 kg (13–15 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[8]

Diet: [8]
 LC 


Unknown  [8]

Smooth-fronted caiman

 

P. trigonatus
Schneider, 1801
Northern South America
 
Size: typically 9–20 kg (20–44 lb)

Habitat: Forest and inland wetlands[9]

Diet: [9]
 LC 


Unknown  [9]

Family Crocodylidae

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The extant Crocodylidae have a variety of snout shapes, but can be recognised because the fourth tooth of the lower jaw is visible when the mouth is closed.[1]

Genus Crocodylus Laurenti, 1768 – fourteen species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
American crocodile

 

C. acutus
Cuvier, 1807
Northern South America, Central America, Greater Antilles
 
Size: up to 500 kg (1,100 lb)

Habitat: Forest, neritic marine, intertidal marine, and coastal marine[10]

Diet: [10]
 VU 


Unknown  [10]

Hall's New Guinea crocodile


C. halli
Murray, Russo, Zorrilla, McMahan,
New Guinea Size: up to 3.5 m (11 ft) for males and 2.7 m (8.9 ft) for females

Habitat: Swamps, rivers, and lakes

Diet:
 LC 


50,000–100,000  

Orinoco crocodile

 

C. intermedius
Graves, 1819
Northern South America
 
Size: up to 635 kg (1,400 lb)

Habitat: Forest, savanna, and inland wetlands[11]

Diet: [11]
 CR 


90–250  [11]

Freshwater crocodile

 

C. johnstoni
Krefft, 1873
Northern Australia
 
Size: up to 100 kg (220 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[12]

Diet: [12]
 LC 


Unknown  [12]

Philippine crocodile

 

C. mindorensis
Schmidt, 1935
Philippines
 
Size: up to 90 kg (200 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[13]

Diet: [13]
 CR 


50–150  [13]

Morelet's crocodile

 

C. moreletii
Duméril, 1851
Eastern Mexico
 
Size: up to 150 kg (330 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[14]

Diet: [14]
 LC 


79,000–100,000  [14]

Nile crocodile

 

C. niloticus
Laurenti, 1768
Sub-Saharan Africa
 
Size: up to 750 kg (1,650 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands, neritic marine, intertidal marine, and coastal marine[15]

Diet: [15]
 LC 


50,000–70,000  [15]

New Guinea crocodile

 

C. novaeguineae
Schmidt, 1928
New Guinea
 
Size: up to 200 kg (440 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[16]

Diet: [16]
 LC 


100,000  [16]

Mugger crocodile

 

C. palustris
Lesson, 1831
Southern Asia
 
Size: up to 400 kg (880 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands and neritic marine[17]

Diet: [17]
 VU 


5,700–8,700  [17]

Saltwater crocodile

 

C. porosus
Schneider, 1801
South and Southeast Asia, northern Australia and Oceania
 
Size: up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)

Habitat: [18]

Diet: [18]
 LC 


Unknown  [18]

Borneo crocodile


C. raninus
Müller, 1844
Borneo Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 NE 


Unknown  

Cuban crocodile

 

C. rhombifer
Cuvier, 1807
Cuba
 
Size: up to 215 kg (474 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[19]

Diet: [19]
 CR 


3,000–5000  [19]

Siamese crocodile

 

C. siamensis
Schneider, 1801
Southeast Asia
 
Size: up to 120 kg (260 lb)

Habitat: Inland wetlands[20]

Diet: [20]
 CR 


500–1,000  [20]

West African crocodile

 

C. suchus
Geoffroy, 1807
Western and central Africa Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 NE 


Unknown  

Genus Mecistops Gray, 1844 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
West African slender-snouted crocodile

 

M. cataphractus
F. Cuvier, 1825
Western Africa Size: up to 325 kg (717 lb)

Habitat: Forest, savanna, inland wetlands, neritic marine, and coastal marine[21]

Diet: [21]
 CR 


1,000–20,000  [21]

Central African slender-snouted crocodile

 

M. leptorhynchus
Bennett, 1835
Central Africa Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 NE 


Unknown  

Genus Osteolaemus Cope, 1861 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Osborn's dwarf crocodile

 

O. osborni
Schmidt, 1919
Congo Basin Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 NE 


Unknown  

Dwarf crocodile

 

O. tetraspis
Cope, 1861
Western Africa
 
Size:

Habitat: [22]

Diet: [22]
 VU 


Unknown  [22]

Family Gavialidae

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Gavialidae can be recognised by the long narrow snout, with an enlarged boss at the tip.[1]

Genus Gavialis Oppel, 1811 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Gharial

 

G. gangeticus
Gmelin, 1789
Scattered south Asia
 
Size: up to 680 kg (1,500 lb)

Habitat: Wetlands (inland)[23]

Diet: [23]
 CR 


300–900  [23]

Genus Tomistoma Müller, 1846 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
False gharial

 

T. schlegelii
Müller, 1838
Southeast Asia
 
Size: up to 270 kg (600 lb)

Habitat: Forest and inland wetlands[24]

Diet: [24]
 EN 


2,500–10,000  [24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Lang, J. W. (2002). "Crocodilians". In Halliday, T.; Adler, K. (eds.). The Firefly Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. Firefly Books. pp. 212–221. ISBN 978-1-55297-613-5.
  2. ^ a b c Elsey, R.; Woodward, A.; Balaguera-Reina, S. A. (2019). "Alligator mississippiensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T46583A3009637. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T46583A3009637.en.
  3. ^ a b c Jiang, H.; Wu, X. (2018). "Alligator sinensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T867A3146005. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T867A3146005.en.
  4. ^ a b c Balaguera-Reina, S. A.; Velasco, A. (2019). "Caiman crocodilus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T46584A3009688. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T46584A3009688.en.
  5. ^ a b c Siroski, P.; Bassetti, L. A. B.; Piña, C.; Larriera, A. (2020). "Caiman latirostris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T46585A3009813. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T46585A3009813.en.
  6. ^ a b c Campos, Z.; Llobet, A.; Magnusson, W. E.; Piña, C. (2020). "Caiman yacare". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T46586A3009881. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T46586A3009881.en.
  7. ^ a b c Ross, J. P. (2000). "Melanosuchus niger". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2000: e.T13053A3407604. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T13053A3407604.en.
  8. ^ a b c Magnusson, W. E.; Campos, Z.; Muniz, F. (2019). "Paleosuchus palpebrosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T46587A3009946. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T46587A3009946.en.
  9. ^ a b c Campos, Z.; Magnusson, W. E.; Muniz, F. (2019). "Paleosuchus trigonatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T46588A3010035. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T46588A3010035.en.
  10. ^ a b c Ponce-Campos, P.; Thorbjarnarson, J.; Velasco, A. (IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group). (2012). "Crocodylus acutus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T5659A3043244. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T5659A3043244.en.
  11. ^ a b c Balaguera-Reina, S. A.; Espinosa-Blanco, A.; Antelo, R.; Morales-Betancourt, M.; Seijas, A. (2020) [errata version of 2018 assessment]. "Crocodylus intermedius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T5661A181089024. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T5661A181089024.en.
  12. ^ a b c Isberg, S.; Balaguera-Reina, S. A.; Ross, J. P. (2017). "Crocodylus johnstoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T46589A3010118. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T46589A3010118.en.
  13. ^ a b c van Weerd, M.; C. Pomaro, C.; de Leon, J.; Antolin, R.; Mercado, V. (2016). "Crocodylus mindorensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T5672A3048281. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T5672A3048281.en.
  14. ^ a b c Cedeño-Vázquez, J. R.; Platt, S. G.; Thorbjarnarson, J. (IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group). (2012). "Crocodylus moreletii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T5663A3045579. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T5663A3045579.en.
  15. ^ a b c Isberg, S.; Combrink, X.; Lippai, C.; Balaguera-Reina, S. A. (2019). "Crocodylus niloticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T45433088A3010181. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T45433088A3010181.en.
  16. ^ a b c Solmu, G.; Manolis, C. (2019). "Crocodylus novaeguineae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T46591A3010398. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T46591A3010398.en.
  17. ^ a b c Choudhury, B. C.; de Silva, A. (2013). "Crocodylus palustris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T5667A3046723. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T5667A3046723.en.
  18. ^ a b c Crocodile Specialist Group (1996). "Crocodylus porosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T5668A11503588. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T5668A11503588.en.
  19. ^ a b c Targarona, R. R.; Soberón, R. R.; Cotayo, L.; Tabet, M. A.; Thorbjarnarson, J. (2017) [errata version of 2008 assessment]. "Crocodylus rhombifer". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T5670A11516438. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T5670A11516438.en.
  20. ^ a b c Bezuijen, M.; Simpson, B.; Behler, N.; Daltry, J.; Tempsiripong, Y. (2012). "Crocodylus siamensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T5671A3048087. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T5671A3048087.en.
  21. ^ a b c Shirley, M. H. (2014). "Mecistops cataphractus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T5660A3044332. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T5660A3044332.en.
  22. ^ a b c Crocodile Specialist Group (1996). "Osteolaemus tetraspis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T15635A4931429. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T15635A4931429.en.
  23. ^ a b c Lang, J; Chowfin, S.; Ross, J. P. (2019) [errata version of 2019 assessment]. "Gavialis gangeticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T8966A149227430. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T8966A149227430.en.
  24. ^ a b c Bezuijen, M. R.; Shwedick, B.; Simpson, B. K.; Staniewicz, A.; Stuebing, R. (2014). "Tomistoma schlegelii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T21981A2780499. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T21981A2780499.en.