Alligatoridae Species Cultural Aspects Pop Culture References

Alligators differ from crocodiles principally in having the head broader and shorter, and the snout more obtuse; in having the fourth, enlarged tooth of the under jaw received, not into an external notch, but into a pit formed for it within the upper one; in lacking a jagged fringe which appears on the hind legs and feet of the crocodile; and in having the toes of the hind feet webbed not more than half way to the tips. In general, the more dangerous crocodilians to human beings tend to be crocodiles rather than alligators.

Alligators proper occur in the fluvial deposits of the age of the Upper Chalk in Europe, where they did not die out until the Pliocene age.

The true alligators are now restricted to two species, A. mississippiensis in the southern states of North America, which grows up to 4 m (12 ft). in length, and the small A. sinensis in the Chang Jiang, People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China PRC comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as China. Since its founding in 1949, it has been led by the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is the world's most populous country, with a population. Their name derives from the Spanish el lagarto, "the lizard").

In Central and South America alligators are represented by five species of the genusSee genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. See genus (music) for the use of the term in music. In biology, a genus (plural genera is a grouping in the classification of living organisms having one or more related and morphologically s Caiman, which differs from the alligator by the absence of a bony septum between the nostrils, and the ventral armour is composed of overlapping bony scutes, each of which is formed of two parts united by a suture. Some authorities further divide this genus into three, splitting off the smooth-fronted caimans into a genus Paleosuchus and the Black Caiman into Melanosuchus.

C. crocodilus, the Spectacled Caiman, has the widest distribution, from southern Mexico to the northern half of Argentina, and grows to a modest size of about 7 feet. The largest, attaining an enormous bulk and a length of 20 ft., is the near-extinct Melanosuchus niger, the Jacare-assu, Large, or Black Caiman of the Amazon. While all wild animals should be treated with respect, the Black Caiman is the only member of the alligator family posing the same danger to humans as the larger species of the crocodile family.

Some crocodiles can be found in salty water, but most alligators stay in fresh water.

1 Species

ORDER CROCODILIA
- Family Crocodylidae: crocodiles
- Family Alligatoridae
  - American AlligatorAmerican Alligator : Eukaryota : Animalia : Metazoa : Chordata : Reptilia : Crocodylia : Alligatoridae Alligator mississippiensis Binomial name Alligator mississippiensis ( Daudin, 1801) The American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis is a member of the, Alligator mississippiensis
  - Chinese Alligator , Alligator sinensis
  - Spectacled Caiman , Caiman crocodilus crocodilus
    - Rio Apaporis Caiman, C. c. apaporiensis
    - Brown Caiman, C. c. fuscus
  - Broad-snouted Caiman , Caiman latirostris
  - Yacare Caiman, Caiman yacare
  - Black Caiman, Melanosuchus niger
  - Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman , Paleosuchus palpebrosus
  - Smooth-fronted Caiman , Paleosuchus trigonatus
- Family Gavialidae: Gavial

2 Cultural aspects

In Native American and African American folklore, the alligator is revered, especially the teeth, which can be worn as a charm against witchcraft and poison.

Often, it is the butt of practical jokes by tricksters like Brer Rabbit.

An urban legend states that people buy baby alligators after visiting Florida or other places where they are native and flush them down the toilet once they get big. The story goes that full grown alligators exist in the sewers of cities like New York City. This is impossible, however, because without UV rays from sunlight, alligators cannot properly metabolize calcium, resulting in metabolic bone disease and eventually death. Small released alligators and caimans, though, are occasionally found in northern lakes.

Alligator skin was once a hot commodity, and was farmed in some areas, as pictured in the panoramic image below. Alligator is sometimes eaten as an exotic meat.

image:Largealligatorfarm_panorama.jpg|thumb|400px|none|South Beach Alligator Farm (5MB uncompressed tif).]]

3 Pop culture references

A top hit from 1956 was "See You Later Alligator", as sung by Bill Haley & His Comets.

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Home > Alligatoridae

1 Species

2 Cultural aspects

3 Pop culture references

Topics: Alligatoridae, Species, Cultural Aspects, Pop Culture References...