science

List of crocodilians

List of crocodilians is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of crocodilians rather than just read about it. In short: Crocodilia is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, which includes true crocodiles, the alligators, and caimans; as well as the gharial and false gharial. A member of this order is called a crocodilian, or colloquially a crocodile.

Key takeaways

List of crocodilians belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of crocodilians to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of crocodilians from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Crocodilia is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, which includes true crocodiles, the alligators, and caimans; as well as the gharial and false gharial. A member of this order is called a crocodilian, or colloquially a crocodile. The 9 genera and 26 species of Crocodilia are split into 3 families: Alligatoridae, alligators and caimans; Crocodylidae, true crocodiles; and Gavialidae, the gharial and false gharial.

Conventions

Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the crocodilian's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN red list for that species unless otherwise noted. All extinct species or subspecies listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol "†". Population figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Classification The order Crocodilia consists of 26 extant species belonging to 9 genera. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species. Modern molecular studies indicate that the 9 genera can be grouped into 3 families.

Crocodilians

Family Alligatoridae

The extant Alligatoridae can be recognised by the broad snout, in which the fourth tooth of the lower jaw cannot be seen when the mouth is closed.

Family Crocodylidae

The extant Crocodylidae have a variety of snout shapes, but can be recognised because the fourth tooth of the lower jaw is visible when the mouth is closed.

Family Gavialidae

Gavialidae can be recognised by the long narrow snout, with an enlarged boss at the tip.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of crocodilians

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of crocodilians claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of crocodilians before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of crocodilians ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of crocodilians

In research: List of crocodilians appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of crocodilians in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of crocodilians is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Crocodilia, Lists of animals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of crocodilians outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of crocodilians in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what List of crocodilians means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain List of crocodilians out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of crocodilians in simple terms?

Why does List of crocodilians matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of crocodilians?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of crocodilians.