Here Be Dragons
Here Be Dragons
This is a collection of lateral, dorsal, and ventral profiles, and other scientifically relevant photographs of different crocodilians. Some of the photographs were taken at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Center for Herpetology with specimens in captivity. Photographs from the wild are provided with location wherever possible. Please note that the images are fairly low resolution since I had to scale them to roughly a fifth of their size, primarily because bulky images take inordinately long to load. If there is any image you would like to use, please email me for a high resolution photograph.
(The distribution details are from http://www.crocodilian.com. Many thanks to Colin Stevenson, Tarun Nair, and Mittal Gala from MCBT for all kinds of logistical help!)
Alligatoridae
Alligator mississippiensis
Common Name : American Alligator
Distribution : SE United States
Nicole is an adult female alligator held in captivity at MCBT. The image below documents her with a special catch -- a turtle. Turtles are a typical food source for alligators in the wild and due to this turtles are almost never introduced to ponds housing captive alligators. This particular turtle must have accidentally wandered in from elsewhere ...
Alligator sinensis
Common Name : Chinese Alligator
Distribution : Eastern China
Caiman crocodilus
Common Name : Spectacled Caiman
Distribution : Central and South America
Caiman latirostris
Common Name : Broad-snouted Caiman
Distribtuion : South America
Caiman yacare
Common Name : Yacare Caiman
Distribution : South America
Melanosuchus niger
Common Name : Black Caiman
Distribution : South America
Paleosuchus palpebrosus
Common Name : Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman
Distribution : South America
Paleosuchus trigonatus
Common Name : Schneider's Smooth-fronted Caiman
Distribution : South America
Crocodylidae
Crocodylus acutus
Common Name : American Crocodile
Distribution : North, Central, and South America
Crocodylus cataphractus
Common Name : Slender-snouted Crocodile
Distribution : Africa
Crocodylus intermedius
Common Name : Orinoco Crocodile
Distribution : South America
Crocodylus johnstoni
Common Name : Australian Freshwater Crocodile
Distribution : Australia
Crocodylus mindorensis
Common Name : Philippine Crocodile
Distribution : Philippines
Crocodylus moreletii
Common Name : Morelet's Crocodile
Distribution : Central America
Lateral view of a baby Morelet's Croc which is less than a week old:
Dorsal view of a baby Morelet's Croc that is about 2 days old:
Crocodylus niloticus
Common Name : Nile Crocodile
Distribution : Africa, Madagascar
Crocodylus novaeguineae
Common Name : New Guinea Crocodile
Distribution : Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya
Crocodylus palustris
Common Name : Mugger (or Marsh Crocodile)
Distribution : Indian subcontinent
Lateral:
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Crocodylus porosus
Common Name : Saltwater (or Estuarine) Crocodile
Distribution : SE Asia
I have seen an Estuarine Crocodile in the wild only once so far. The image given below is of this saltwater crocodile. It was taken around sunset at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in Singapore. Unfortunately, the only photo I could take of it is of poor quality :(
Crocodylus rhombifer
Common Name : Cuban Crocodile
Distribution : Cuba
Crocodylus siamensis
Common Name : Siamese Crocodile
Distribution : SE Asia
Osteolaemus tetraspis
Common Name : African Dwarf Crocodile
Distribution : Africa
Tomistoma schlegelii
Common Name : False Gharial
Distribution : SE Asia
Gavialidae
Gavialis gangeticus
Common Name : Indian Gharial
Distribution : Indian subcontinent
Lateral:
Dorsal:
Ventral:
Feeding:
Sub-adult Gharials:
Lateral Profile of a Juvenile Gharial:
Dorsal Profile (Full Body) of a Juvenile Gharial:
Dorsal Profile of a Juvenile Gharial:
Juveniles:
Miscellaneous:
