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Crocodilia

Crocodilia

7.7
A group of large meat-eating reptiles that live in water and on land, like crocodiles and alligators
  • noun
  • /ˌkrɒkəˈdɪliə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Crocodilia
  • Other species within the order Crocodilia, such as crocodiles and gharials, were not examined.

Examples

  • Scientists study the Crocodilia to understand their unique adaptations to both land and water environments.

  • The Crocodilia order includes various species like crocodiles and alligators, known for their semi-aquatic lifestyle.

  • Members of the Crocodilia order are often found in tropical regions, thriving in rivers and wetlands.

Synonyms

order Crocodilia
vsCrocodilia
  • Specialized
6.8

A group of large reptiles that live in water and eat meat, like crocodiles and alligators

is the more compact label without the explicit taxonomic word
order Crocodylia
vsCrocodilia
  • Specialized
8.2

A group of large reptiles that eat meat and live in water and on land, like crocodiles and alligators

is the other spelling form that refers to the same taxonomic group
Crocodylia
vsCrocodilia
  • Specialized
9.5

A group of large reptiles that live mostly in water like crocodiles and alligators

is semi aquatic and splits time between land and water
order Loricata
vsCrocodilia
  • Archaic
9.9

A former scientific group name for animals like crocodiles and alligators

is the current accepted name rather than the outdated grouping
Loricata
vsCrocodilia
  • Archaic
9.9

An old scientific name for the group of reptiles that includes crocodiles and alligators

is the current name used instead of that older scientific label

Compounds

order Crocodilia
  • Specialized
6.8

A group of large reptiles that live in water and eat meat, like crocodiles and alligators

Surface Forms

Crocodilia singular
Crocodiliae plural

Morphology

Crocodilia = crocodile (semi-transparent) = crocodil + ia

Formed by adding the taxonomic suffix '-ia' to the crocodile stem; learners can infer it denotes a group of crocodile-like animals but may not know the precise rank 'order'.

Etymology

Crocodilia comes from the Greek name krokodeilos, which people long ago linked to words meaning 'pebble' and 'worm', and one popular story says this came from seeing crocodiles among river stones. So Crocodilia is the group name for large, water-living reptiles like crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gavials.