FAMILY:
ALLIGATORIDAE

A. mississippiensis
A. sinensis
C. crocodilus
C. c. apaporiensis
C. c. fuscus
C. latirostris
C. yacare
M. niger
P. palpebrosus
P. trigonatus

FAMILY:
CROCODYLIDAE

C. acutus
C. intermedius
C. johnstoni
C. mindorensis
C. moreletii
C. niloticus
C. novaeguineae
C. palustris
C. porosus
C. rhombifer
C. siamensis
M. cataphractus
O. tetraspis
T. schlegelii

FAMILY:
GAVIALIDAE

G. gangeticus

DICHOTOMOUS KEY
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The dark pigmentation which lends the black caiman its name can be seen from this photograph. In adults, however, body colour and morphology can be difficult to differentiate from other caiman species (e.g. Caiman crocodilus), and this can be a problem in identification of illegally harvested skins of black caiman (when the head has been removed).

Photograph courtesy of University of Boston

ALL IMAGES:
[click on image for enlargement]

	Head portrait of juvenile		Juvenile held in hand		Juveniles in a holding container
	Juvenile's disruptive camouflage patterns		Adult black caiman floating in water		Sub-adult caiman head