animals Alligator  & caimans family Alligatoridae,

1. Alligator & caimans

2.  Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum: Chordata
 Class: Reptilia
 Order: Crocodilia
 Family: Alligatoridae
 Genus Alligator & caimans
 Species A. mississippiensis ( American alligator)
A. sinensis (Chinese alligator)

3. The name
"alligator“ is
derived from the
Spanish term for
"the lizard",

4. American alligator
360 kg and 4.0 m.
Chinese alligator
smaller,
2.1 m length

5.  American alligators live
in freshwater environments, such as
ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, lakes,
and swamps.
 Chinese alligator currently is found in only
theYangtze River valley.
 Chinese alligators live in zoos around the
world than can also be found in the wild

6.  Two forms : "sprawl" and "high walk".
 Sprawl is a forward movement with the belly
making contact with the ground.
 High walk is an up on four limbs forward
motion used for overland travel with the belly
well up from the ground.

7. Smaller animals, can kill and eat with
a single bite.

8.  May kill larger prey by grabbing it and
dragging it into the water to drown

9.  Alligators are generally timid towards
humans and tend to walk or swim away if one
approaches.
 In Florida, feeding wild alligators at any time
is illegal.
 If fed, the alligators will eventually lose their
fear of humans and will learn to associate
humans with food, thereby becoming both a
greater danger to people, and at greater risk
from them.

10.  Alligators generally mature at a length of 6 ft
(1.8 m).
 Mating season is in late spring.
 The incubation period is 65 days.
 The sex of the offspring is determined by the
incubation temperature.
 Incubation temperatures of 86 °F (30 °C) or
lower produce a clutch of females.
 Those of 93 °F (34 °C) or higher produce
entirely males.

12. •Alligator meat is also consumed by humans.
•Skin is used for bags and shoes.

14.  Alligators have wider, U-shaped snouts, while
crocodile front ends are more pointed andV-
shaped.

15. When mouth is closed only top teeth are visible in
Alligator and at closed mouth of Crocodile both the top
and bottom teeth are visible.

17. Caiman is a reptile that is closely related to
alligators and crocodiles.
C. yacare, yacare caiman

18.  Almost all caiman species are
endangered due to habitat loss and
poaching.
 People hunt caimans because of their
beautiful skin and meat.
 Some people keep caimans as pets.
 Caimans can reach 5 to 20 feet in length
and weigh from 220 to 1100 pounds,
depending on the species. Males and
female look alike.

19.  Caiman has narrow snout.
 Long and flattened tail is used both for
swimming and for protection.
 Caiman has excellent sense of hearing and
eyesight.
 Caimans are nocturnal animals (active during
the night).
 Caimans are well adapted to the life in water.
They can swim at speed of 30 miles per hour.

21.  Female lays up to 65 eggs.
 Incubation period of 65 to 104 days.
 Temperature of the nest determines the
gender of the baby.
 Caimans have long lifespan.They can
survive 30 to 40 years in the wild and up
to 60 years in captivity.