There are 23 species of crocodiles in the world today. The history of the crocodilians dates back to the Triassic period, some 230 million years ago. Alligators and their kin are modern dinosaurs, having existed virtually unchanged for the past 65 million years.
The crocodilians can be broken into four main groups, the alligators, caimans, crocodiles and gharials. Alligators are found only in the South-Eastern United States and in China. Alligators have a short, blunt and rounded snout.
The Chinese alligator is quite small, being about 130 centimeters in length. Caimans are found primarily in Central and South America. There are many types of Caimans. Caimans are normally small and squat reptiles with an extremely toothy grin.
Crocodiles are characterized by a long and tapered snout. They tend to be a light tan to a brownish in colour. There are many species of crocodiles, which are found all over the world. Two species of crocodiles are considered man-eaters the – Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus).
The Saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile and its hide is the most sought after crocodile skin in the commercial world.
The Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a large crocodilian which inhabits India, Burma and Pakistan. It is also a rare animal found mainly in the Ganges River. The Gharial has an extremely long and slender snout with a ball like protrusion at the end of it.
