A large reptile of the genus Crocodilus, of several
species. They grow to the length of sixteen or eighteen feet, and
inhabit the large rivers of Africa, Asia, and America. The eggs, laid
in the sand, are hatched by the sun’s heat. The best known species is
that of the Nile (C. vulgaris, or C. Niloticus). The Florida crocodile
(C. Americanus) is much less common than the alligator and has longer
jaws. The name is also sometimes applied to the species of other
related genera, as the gavial and the alligator.