has a pale tan hide, though at least three coloration variations are known, with some almost completely yellowish, and some a dark brownish-gray. The skin can change colour over long periods of time; this phenomenon has been recorded in other species that can gradually change the amount of melanin in their skin. These crocodiles have dark-brown markings, which present as more pronounced bands in younger specimens and as scattered markings on mature ones. One individual measuring and weighing had a bite force of . Size The Orinoco crocodile ranks among the largest living reptiles, as well as the largest predator in the Americas. It is arguably, on average, the largest crocodilian in the Americas; while American crocodiles, black caimans and the American alligator may approach similar dimensions, the Orinoco crocodile may be (or had been, when in healthy numbers) slightly longer. Given its possible maximum sizes, the Orinoco crocodile may rank as the third largest extant true crocodile, after the saltwater crocodile and Nile crocodile (which is closely related to it, despite its substantially different range), and additionally rank 4th amongst all extant crocodilians behind the gharial, though there is little to suggest that Orinoco specimens in modern times can rival these species. Sexual maturity for Orinoco crocodiles is obtained for females at around while that of males seems to be obtained around length, with most adult crocodiles of the species exceeding . Average length of wild adult females from 1985 to 1992 was found to be while that of males is not known to have been surveyed at that time. If not culled by humans, mature males easily exceed and attain a length of as much as in length as they grow throughout life, perhaps weighing up to in big specimens, while females may grow over the expected size of in length and may sometimes exceed . According to Guinness Records, the average length of adults that they were able to examine was only and the largest specimen found firsthand was . The largest specimen historically reported was shot in 1800, and allegedly measured at , although the source is considered reliable, unfortunately, no voucher specimen is known from this. Because of extensive hunting for their skins in the 20th century, such giants do not exist today, and modern Orinoco crocodiles have not been reported to exceed in length. Merchán listed the maximum total length attainable for a male