The 8 Main Differences Between Alligators and Crocodiles
So What's the Difference Between Alligators and Crocodiles?
Many people are unaware that there's a difference between alligators and crocodiles and use both terms interchangeably to describe any large water-dwelling lizard with big teeth. What they don't realize is that, despite some similarities, the two reptiles don't look or behave the same. They also belong to different biological families.
8 ways to tell alligators and crocodiles apart:
- Shape of the snout. The crocodile's snout is pointed and V-shaped, and the alligator's is wide and U-shaped.
- Location. Alligators are only found in parts of the US and China, whereas crocodiles can be found across the world. Scroll down for more information about where you'll find each.
- Habitat. Crocodiles prefer water that is more saline or salty than the alligator's preferred freshwater habitat.
- Toothy grin. Crocodiles can't hide their teeth, but alligators' teeth are sometimes hidden when their mouths are closed.
- Size. A full-grown crocodile will likely be several feet longer than an adult alligator.
- Color. Crocodiles are generally lighter in color than alligators.
- Speed. On land and in water, crocodiles are usually slower than alligators.
- Behavior. In terms of aggression, an alligator might seem tame compared to a crocodile.
Once you understand the differences, it is actually pretty easy to tell them apart. I explore each of these differences in detail below.
1. Alligators and Crocodiles Have Different Snouts
One of the main differences between alligators and crocodiles is the snout.
The alligator's is broader and shaped like a U, whereas the crocodile’s is longer and narrower and more V-shaped.
It's very possible that the alligator's snout shape is different because of diet, especially breaking open turtle shells, whereas the crocodile’s snout is more suited to hunting general prey including fish, reptiles, and mammals.
2. Where Do Alligators and Crocodiles Live?
Alligators live only in the southeastern US and eastern China, whereas crocodiles can be found across the world in Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, North America, South America, and Central America.
If you are in the US, then you are far more likely to encounter an alligator than a crocodile. Although there is an American crocodile species, they only live in the southernmost tip of Florida, whereas alligators can be found across Florida and Louisiana, as well as in parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
Alligators also heavily outnumber crocodiles in the US. There are over 3 million alligators, but fewer than 2,000 crocodiles. Southern Florida is the only place in the world where you will find crocodiles and alligators living side by side.
3. Habitat: Freshwater or Saltwater?
Crocodiles have special glands in their tongues which excrete excess salt from their bodies. This means that they are capable of spending days, or even weeks, at sea.
Alligators also have these glands but they don’t work as well, so they usually stick to freshwater habitats, although they can sometimes be found in brackish water (a mixture of salt and freshwater).
This difference explains why crocodiles have managed to spread across the islands of the Caribbean, and alligators haven't.
4. They Have Different Teeth
When their mouths are closed, the snouts of alligators and crocodiles are easy to tell apart, as the alligator will have none of its bottom teeth visible, whereas the crocodile’s lower fourth tooth can always be seen.
Crocodiles often have many visible teeth sticking out over their lips, giving them a very jagged "smile," but since an alligator's upper jaw is wider than its lower, it can hide all its teeth when its mouth is closed.
5. Which Are Bigger: Alligators or Crocodiles?
An adult crocodile can grow up to roughly 19 feet long, whereas for alligators, the maximum length is around 14 feet.
6. Color Differences
Crocodile hides tend to be more of a light tan or olive color, whereas alligators are usually a dark blackish grey.
(The exact shade of an alligator skin depends on the quality of the water it swims in. Tannic acid from overhanging trees will make them darker, algae will make them greener).
7. Which Runs and Swims Faster: An Alligator or a Crocodile?
On Land: Both can can move quickly on land, but only for short distances. They can both "gallop" or "sprint" but only do it when threatened, and not for long. A crocodile might reach almost 9 mph (14kph), while an alligator might reach a maximum speed of about 11 mph (18 kph).
In Water: They're both much more agile and fast in water where they can use their long, muscular tails to propel their bodies forward. When crocodiles swim, they might reach speeds of about 9 mph (15 kph), while alligators might reach a maximum of 20 mph (32 kph).
Did you know?
Fatalities from alligator attacks in the US are actually very rare. The average annual fatality rate for death by alligator in the US is actually only 0.3. That means on average, one person dies every three years. That's a very low figure when you consider how many people and alligators there are in southeastern US. The truth is that you are more likely to be killed by a dog, a bee or wasp sting, spider bite, rattlesnake, mountain lion, or shark.
8. Which Is More Aggressive: An Alligator or a Crocodile?
Alligators, while definitely dangerous, are relatively timid compared to crocodiles. An alligator will generally try to escape if approached by humans, usually heading for the nearest water.
The only time that wild alligators will attack humans is if they are unexpectedly disturbed, provoked, or defending their young.
Alligators are instinctively afraid of humans but can lose some of that fear with regular contact. Except in controlled conditions, feeding them is almost always a bad idea as they will lose some of their fear and see humans as a source of food. They can also mistake small children and pet dogs for prey.
Crocodiles, on the other hand, are much more bad-tempered and far more likely to attack humans, even unprovoked.
Australian saltwater crocodiles are generally considered the most dangerous in the world, followed by Nile crocodiles. American crocodiles, on the other hand, are one of the more timid types that you will find and rarely attack humans. In the US, you are more likely to be attacked by an alligator than a crocodile, although attacks by either are very rare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are alligators and crocodiles the same species?
Crocodilia is an order of large, semiaquatic, predatory reptiles that includes alligators, caimans, gharai, and crocodiles. These are all known as "crocodilians," but only some are true crocodiles, and they're not related closely enough to interbreed.
Alligator vs. Crocodile: Which is stronger? If they fought, who would win?
Crocodiles can grow bigger than gators, and their bites can be more lethal.
Crocodiles might win for bite strength alone. The strongest have a bite pressure that measures 3,700 pounds per square inch, while the strongest alligators' bites are about 2,900.
In terms of size, crocodiles win again. The biggest recorded croc was about 2,000 pounds and over 23 feet long, while the largest recorded gator was about 1,000 pounds and 19 feet long.
Lastly, in terms of aggression, crocodiles would still win, as they are much more aggressive and likely to attack, even if unprovoked.
Which are more dangerous to humans?
According to CrocBITE, a database that keeps track of crocodilian attacks worldwide, the Nile crocodile is the one humans should be the most afraid of. Since the year 2000, there have been 33 human fatalities caused by American gators and crocodiles combined compared to 268 caused by Nile crocodiles alone.
Questions & Answers
- Helpful 195
- Helpful 59
Can alligators and crocodiles mate?
No, they can't. Although they look similar, they are genetically too far apart. Although related, they split into separate genera a long time ago.
Helpful 57Why are there no more alligators in Flordia?
Although alligators were at one time endangered due to over-hunting, their numbers have increased dramatically in Florida since the 1970's. It's estimated that there are now between 1.3 million and 2 million alligators in the state, which means that there's one gator for every 10-15 Floridians.
Helpful 1Are alligators a type of crocodile?
No, they are members of the order Crocodilia, which includes alligators, crocodiles, and caiman, but they are not a true crocodile.
© 2011 Paul Goodman
Comments
Can an alligator and a crocodile breed to make a "crocogator"? I mean, ligers and zonkeys are a thing so maybe?
How long do they live and how can you tell their approximate age. What are the differences between the male and female alligators and how does one determine whether it is a male or female ? How often does a female give birth and how many babies do they have on average. Are there more males than females or vice versa for the alligators and the crocodiles? Which species is hunted for its meat and by whom? Do people consider them a tasty treat. What part of this reptile is eaten if any? Are any of them poisonous and if you were bitten by one would you need to get an immediate vaccine like you would for a rattlesnake for example?
thanks guys!
Thanks my bro had a project I helped him with
My nightmare. Ugh ... Nile Crocodile Hmmm
So much for that river trip. Great Hub.
it was a good idea
Thank you so much u helped with a merit badge in boy scouts I loved your article!
it makes scense
gee whiz thx so much that was gr8
that is very interesting very helpful
nice
very useful
Steve Irwin was the best croc hunter !
its so helpful, thanks a lot.
Wow. I never knew that there was a difference! So cool!
this was so useful thank u so much
This was nice
thanks alot.
I have seen every species of croc. You got the green ones, the ones who try to go for ya package, the fiesty ones, and you can't forget the momma crocs. Each one is pretty dangerous mate'. I can't believe anyone could not see the difference between a mean ol croc and an alligator mate'. It's plain out silly. I have seen everything in the outback. The old alligators are nothin' but little lizards to me mate'.
thxs this has helped me understand
cool information
thx so much
this has helped
ok now i know what the differences are thxs
thxs this helped me
Thanks for the awesome info
this has been the best teaching ever thank you
you missed out the habitat section which was supposed to be No. 2
THANK YOU!!! Makes homework so much easier.
Thanks you helped me on my english project.
thanks for your help!
Thanks helped me on my essay!
THIS WAS SO USEFUL THANK YOU
It is really helpful ! Thx
yes got it, thanks
The author left out the most important distinction: if he'll see you later, then its an alligator. If it's after a while, then it's a crocodile. :)
this sit is amazing!
Thanks for the information
IT HELPED me a lot in my studies !!!!!!!!!!!
HI
I give thanks for this helpful article. the next 2 days i'm going to give a presentation to my ecology teacher and guess what's the topic? differences between alligators and crocodiles!
A croc swam from Dania Beach(FL) over to Hollywood Beach(FL) before being retrieved by Fish&Game on 11/20/2017.
Helped while doing venn giagram
Helped me a lot with my speech for school, thank you!
Those were some snazzy turtles
Great write-up! Thank you
I love crocodiles
It is a wonderful website which teaches us about animals.I'm proud of this website
Not sure what metric you are using for comparison but as far as pure strength is concerned, Crocs have a stronger bite than gators--as long as you are comparing similar size specimens. A gator does have a bigger mouth (which is one reason they have less bite pressure--the force is spread over a larger area) so may be fair to say they have a more devastating bite overall. Also, croc jaw muscles are about 1/3 larger (again, this is for similar sized specimens). Crocs win the bite force comparison by a factor of about 2.
Used this to do a speech in my college class, was very helpful thanks dude
Alligators are fast, got chased by one while on bike. I was able to pull away, alligator then gave up, went back in woods.
It's really good. I 've some doubts about them that were cleared now. Thanks
Thanks for this information because I really need this information for my studies
I live in Zimbabwe. We have Lake Kariba which is a fresh water lake. There are millions of crocodiles there. There used to only be 1 per square metre. Now there's like 10 per square metre in a Lake that is 223km x 40km (22300m x 4000m)
That was very informative! Thanks.
See a pointy nose and teeth...get gone!
I've seen on other videos that another differences is how they open the jaws to caught prey. One open the upper jaw while the other open the lower jaw. Is this true and which is which?
My 5 years old daughter easy spots differences :) and im wondering where did she learn that if she didn't start school yet. Today in another Zoo again she didn't miss and I wanted to cry beeing such stupud - thx for the lecture!
I was left a little confused. The article seems to contradict itself several times, sometimes within one sentence.
I love crocodile meat
it helped me alot
these are really interesting facts but very dangerous.
do you know anyone that has been attacked by either one
Here we have a good explanation. In fact, many people confuse crocodiles, alligators and caimans.
thanks for telling us the differences. Alligators are not so wild as crocs
Thanks. I do admire those who came before us and who without technology such as night vision video recorders, nor cameras nor guns were able to observe animals as they grazed, fed and protected their young. Thanks once again for throwing more light on the Alligator and Crocodile. I wonder which of the two would sleep with mouth open without fear of its tongue being a meal for another? These are two animals that terrorize others in the waters!
well can't say i didn't learn anything here. All the more reason to avoid an alligator.
thanks people, im doing a report and this was far better then any other website
This made my homework way easier
crocodilias are cool
Thanks for the information! You helped me a lot!!! :)
it helps
For me both are charming, well I won't dare to get closer to them :)
Okay! I always wondered what the difference was! If I see either one,though, I'm running away! (Although here in New York..probably NOT going to happen).
Great hub! I love watching them in the Everglades, which is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist.
Now about the turtles... true those alligators can crush their shells, but they surely like to surf and sunbathe on top of those sleeping logs!
Your second vid comes up as 'private' which is a shame- the first one was great.
I enjoyed the rest of the page, too.
Heya PaulGoodman67! I just wanted to say that the HP Staff and I loved this post so much, we featured it in a podcast to discuss it and introduce it to more people! You can find the podcast here: http://blog.hubpages.com/2011/04/alligators-vs-cro...
Props on the fantastic Hub!
Well this clears up any confusion! Thanks...such fascinating creatures (both of them)!
Amazing creatures, thanks for the clarification... still probably would run like the dickens if I saw one meandering down the road :)
You have wonderful and interesting Hubs.
Loved it!!!
wither way they both scary animals lol
84