1 800 913-7906
Accurate drawings of various species of crocodiles and alligators. All illustrations are hand drawn and expertly rendered. In the gallery is the American Alligator as well as the Albino morph, American Crocodile, Indian Gharial, Nile Crocodile, Saltwater Crocodile and Spectacled Caiman. All images are available in both line art and full color. High quality prints made on acid-free archival paper are available of all drawings in the gallery. If you do not see the alligator or crocodile you're looking for please contact the artist to make a suggestion. Custom illustrations of specific animals can be ordered as well. For more information and pricing please call 1 (800) 913-7906 or send an email to the artist.
The wildlife drawings are also available for stock art illustration.
Many years back, I drew the American Alligator. I was pretty happy with the line art image, and added color in about 2007. In about 2010 I revisited the drawing and completely re-tooled the digital tinting, as my style and methods had improved. Afterwards, I thought to add some of the other major crocodilian species, like the Nile, Saltwater and the American Crocodile - which I had actually seen in the wild in Costa Rica. As will all the reptiles, the alligators and crocodiles really lend themselves well to the medium of ink. The Nile Crocodile proved very challenging, as the layout I chose highlighted the scutes along the side of the large reptile. At this time I had no immediate plans to add any more, but I might add a Gharial at some point. If you have a suggestion or would like to request I draw a species species of alligator or crocodile, please send me an email.
The alligator is a large, semi-aquatic reptile of the order Crocodylia. There are only two extant species of alligator today: the American Alligator which lives in the murky swamps, bogs and marshes of the southeastern US. The Chinese Alligator is the other species, and sadly critically endangered due to overhunting and habitat loss. The word alligator is an anglicized form of el lagarto, the Spanish term for "lizard". Early Spanish explorers and settlers that had arrived in Florida used this to name the alligator. The alligator is such a well adapted animal it has hardly changed in the 200 million years it has lived on earth. This has given rise to calling it a "living fossil." A large adult American alligator can reach about 800 pounds and have a length of 13 feet. There have been verified accounts of individuals growing even larger. The Chinese Alligator is somewhat smaller. Both species of alligator are formidable predators, and feed on fish, turtles, birds, other reptiles and mammals. Hatchings feed on snails, insects and other small invertebrates. Alligators usually withdraw from contact with people, but will occasionally attack humans. Rarely are these attacks unprovoked, and rarer still are attacks that result in death. At one time the number of American Alligators in the US had dropped and it had to be put on the endangered species list. But after years of protection, both of the animal itself and the habitat it lives in, their numbers have greatly increased and are now stable.
Crocodiles are members of the family Crocodylidae. They are large, carnivorous reptiles found in rivers, lakes, and wetlands of the tropics. While most are freshwater, there are some that will venture into saltwater, like the famous species in Australia. Crocodiles feed mostly on vertebrate animals like fish, other reptiles, mammals and birds. Young crocs newly hatched will eat small invertebrates and insects. The fossil record can trace their origins back to about 55 million years ago in the Eocene period. Oddly enough, some scientists and biologists now believe crocodiles are more closely related to birds and dinosaurs than to most other animals classified as reptiles. But like reptiles, crocodiles cannot regulate their body temperature, and must use environmental means - basking in the sunlight or retreating to the water or shade) to maintain an acceptable body temperature. Crocodiles have smooth skin on their belly and side, while their topside surface is armored with large scales. The armored skin is thick and rugged which protects them from thrashing prey and each other. A system of small capillaries push blood through these scales, so they're still able to absorb warmth through their thick and tough hide.
