Alligators

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Alligators
China alligator (Alligator sinensis)

China alligator ( Alligator sinensis )

Systematics
Row : Land vertebrates (Tetrapoda)
without rank: Amniotes (Amniota)
without rank: Sauropsida
without rank: Archosauria
Order : Crocodiles (crocodylia)
Family : Alligators
Scientific name
Alligatoridae
Gray , 1844
Subfamilies

The alligators are a family of crocodiles with a total of 8 species. In it the real alligators and the caimans are summarized. Their metabolism is slower than that of their relatives, the real crocodiles , and the rest of their development is also much slower compared to these. This quieter way of life can make them twice their age.

Features and way of life

Head of an alligator mississippiensis

While the Chinese alligator can be a maximum of 2.2 meters long, the maximum length of the Mississippi alligators is up to 6 meters. The animals can reach an age of up to 100 years. In alligators, in contrast to crocodiles, the lower jaw teeth do not bite against the upper row of teeth, they are rather inwardly directed. Since the teeth of the upper jaw are on the outside, only these are visible when the mouth is closed. The crocodile caiman and the spectacled caiman are obviously exceptions.

Both prefer to live in swamps and lakes , but also in rivers and eat whatever prey they can catch. The mother alligator is very caring about her up to 70 eggs, which she can hatch at one time. For ten weeks she moves only a few meters from the mound of mud and leaves in which she laid the eggs. After the small, approximately eight inches long alligators have hatched, the mother carries them to the water, where they spend the next few months together.

Signs like this are not uncommon in U.S. parks

The natural habitats of the alligators are America ( Mississippi alligator and caimans ) and China ( China alligator )

Hazard and protection

The alligator population was in serious danger when crocodile leather bags and clothing became fashionable. Alligators have been under protection in China and America since then. Most species are now growing rapidly again, especially in North America and parts of South America.

Systematics

The exact relationships between the alligators and other groups within the crocodiles have so far been largely unclear, an accepted hypothesis is given here.

The cladogram shown here is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual records ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.
Please add where the information comes from.
 Alligators (Alligatoridae)  
  Caimans (Caimaninae)  
  Jacarea  

 Real caimans ( caiman )


   

 Black caimans ( Melanosuchus )



   

 Smooth- fronted caimans ( Palaeosuchus )



   

 Real alligators (Alligatorinae)



literature

  • Charles A. Ross (Ed.): Crocodiles and Alligators - Evolution, Biology and Distribution. Year, Hamburg 1994, Orbis, Niedernhausen 2002, ISBN 3-572-01319-4 .
  • Wolfgang Böhme, Martin Sander: Crocodylia, crocodiles. In: Wilfried Westheide (Ed.): Special Zoology. Part 2: vertebrates and skulls. Fischer, Stuttgart 1996, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg 2004, ISBN 3-8274-0307-3 .

Web links

Commons : Alligators (Alligatoridae)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files