Crocodilians

The order Crocodilia includes 23 species of crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials. While they all have a similar body morphology, they do differ in their size and snout and tooth shape. Though most crocodilians are found in the tropics, two species fall out of this range: American Alligators are found in the southeastern United States and Chinese Alligators are found along the Yangtze River in China. These territorial reptiles use a variety of aquatic habitats including swamps, lakes, ponds, estuaries, streams, rivers, and mangroves.