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 upon 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
What type of alligator is in Gatorade?
Gatorade was developed at the University of Florida and takes its name from the college sports teams, known as "Florida Gators". The energy drink contains no actual alligators.
Helpful 650I have heard about alligators surviving in frozen lakes in winter. Is that also possible for crocodiles?
Crocodiles are less able to survive in colder climates where water freezes, which is one reason they are much less common than alligators in the southeastern USA and are only found at the southernmost tip of Florida. They also tend to live in salt or brackish water - which is much less likely to freeze - especially in the subtropical and tropical climes where they usually live.
Helpful 57Why do alligators swim away when humans approach?
Wild alligators have a natural fear of humans and will usually attempt to escape if approached. Alligators can lose their built-in fear if they become used to humans, however, which is why you should never feed wild alligators.
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What do you know about saltwater crocodiles?
This crocodile, also known informally as a "saltie," can be found throughout most of Southeast Asia, as far west as the eastern coast of India, and all the way down to northern Australia. Its scientific name is Crocodylus porosus. It lives in marine environments, as well as brackish waters. Along with the Nile crocodile, it is considered the most aggressive and dangerous type of crocodile.
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© 2011 Paul Goodman
Comments
So good and informative
American crocodile and desert crocodile are not that aggressive even ancient Egyptian could tell different it from Nile crocodile .Cuban crocodile is very aggressive in alligator caiman are very aggressive black caiman well known for that may be because they are more close to Nile croc one nose hole thing. Which is better on land Nile croc gator both hunt on land they are eusuchian mesoeucrocodylia they have eusuchian monster centra backbone joint flexible backbone like a cat .cat have disc joint some modern crocodilian are more like land crocodilian even some scientist say so like dwarf caiman no web toe small snout dinosaur temporal fenestra and one have dinosaur tail and less flat skull.Cuban croc I think has specialize leg muscle small snout they were more of a land crocodile in the past dwarf crocodile is mostly a land crocodile it can hop .mesoeucrocodylian evolve in water there is a lot of drag those fast joint easy use on land like the tail mesoeucrocodylia had advitage over dinosaur they can jump higher most early land mesoeucrocodylia keep the tail.they are 2 type of modern crocodilian crocodile and alligator crocodile is use for all croc like animal mostly crocodilian is use animal like proterosuchus dinosaur dinosauriformies pterosaur gator the scientific name is thecodont which mean crocodilian teeth .lizard has simular thecodont teeth but it’s different they are different animal lizard allso has bird teeth a more advance teeth that were you get bird link with dinosaur and the archosaur name .the true crocodilian the advance thecodont the gator mesoeucrocodylia .scientist saw how primitive dinosaur and proterosuchus pterosaur were .they lack a full palate or fully secondary bony palate. they must have form a new line then these become advance a new advance line. True crocodilian is spinosauridae mesoeucrocodylia they have strongest bite force in thecodont and dinosaur .they have fully secondary bony palate and death roll system the most superior dinosaur technology.the early mesoeucrocodylia they are 2 type.spinosauridae no neural arch or neural arch on neck and tail only 3 finger turtle shell like skin primitive sphenosuchus palate architecture and lack palate that is fuse to braincase spinosaurus has joint on sail hump neural spine this will stop tabloid claim that sail fuse to other backbone which can not happen in mesoeucrocodylia they will die in death roll roll over that why all mesoeucrocodylia lack neural arch most thecodont have neural arch.primitive lizard lack neural arch .all mesoeucrocodylia have big sail neural spine for big death roll muscle spinosaurus is just a little bit bigger. Spinosauridae brain is bigger for bipedal brain feature can not rotate arm baryonyx teeth are close together t.rex spinosaurus Nile croc are not. Spinosauridae peg like femur all ankle bone is fuse can not sprawl only 2 bone fuse to braincase.gator type early mesoeucrocodylia neural arch on neck and tail sphenosuchus palate the palate is not fuse to braincase 4 to 6 bone fuse to braincase only one fossil with 4 bone . Can sprawl all ankle bone is not fuse smaller brain in semi aquatic won .turtle shell like skin 5 finger only 3 finger claws no peg femur and peg like ankle can rotate there arm I do not think they have joint on neural spine spinosaurus backbone was unique and they did not have strong turtle skin that why they have those joint they had weaker skin like modern crocodilian.eusuchian mesoeucrocodylia palate fuse to braincase monster centra backbone joint they can swim faster run faster 6 bone fuse to braincase . advance eusuchian braincase bone shift jaw muscle shift only 3 toe claw .back to early mesoeucrocodylia spinosauridae nose hole is behind the kink snout spinosaurus is even more whale like .reduce nose hole in the skull .tyrannosaur like theropod has big nose hole even thou t.rex eat like gator and have full palate it’s skull is more like other theropod bird like spinosauridae skull was just like other mesoeucrocodylia they were first in dinosaur to reduce antorbital fenestra and reduce nose hole nile croc does not have antorbital fenestra his nose is before kink reduce hole in the skull make the skull strong dwarf crocodile and gator both have fuse nose hole this show there is lot of stress behind kink and before kink fuse nose is primitive feature but it will make skull stronger the advance kind choose this way spinosaurus nose hole is very small spinosauridae skull is very primitive too long and thin and mammal high because they lack 6 bone fuse to braincase they can not make it in many shape to take on world and live in different place look at the gharial missing important feature in skull still strong enough to do the death roll or false gharial very flat skull no problem killing big prey it’s well known men eating .allso baryonyx has dinosaur tail a very poor swimming tail that why snout is so big .in mesoeucrocodylia bigger skull stronger the skull the gharial has biggest skull and weakes skull because missing feature second the false gharial .longer the skull bigger the palate main strength in the skull higher the skull stronger the skull is like spinosauridae dwarf caiman they have mammal like skull spinosauridae skull is very strong but could not crush metal like modern crocodilian these animal are very dangerous .spinosauridae is a tyrannosaur what the different t.rex has short secondary bony palate a weaker bite and snout is smaller another weaker feature spinosauridae has kink a primitive feature not found any tetanuran they split off early in there evolution .on gator 5 finger it’s common in marine reptile to grow there finger back and modern crocodilian is more of warm blooded animal clearly by heart spleen kidney fatty battery flow true lung and is more like top of line mammal you can see by dinosaur furcula gator well develope pectoral girdle a flight feature monster centra joint these are fast dangerous animal a normal reptile will die evolve some thing like that.on eusuchian the palate can trace to Nile crocodile today crocodilian name only use for advance eusuchian mesoeucrocodylia the 3 toe claw modern crocodilian.modern crocodilian is so fast if they do not have those monster centra joint they can die hunting a prey in a fast attack
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The article states that the Nile Crocodile is the one that humans should fear most (According to CrocBITE - in that it kills more people than others).
A most misleading statistic.
The Nile Delta is incredibly densely populated by humans.
The Australian range of the Saltie is very sparsely populated by humans - but a few get taken every year anyway (mostly tourists - who think they are in Europe or that a croc will act like a 'gator - it's amazing how many people think that "if they leave a saltie alone - it will leave them alone").
The article also states "Crocodiles, on the other hand, are much more bad-tempered and far more likely to attack humans, even unprovoked.".
Not strictly true. It's not so much that they are "bad-tempered" as much as they simply see humans as just another form of food.
......... They see anything and everything as just another form of food - much like a Great White (shark).
To a 'gator - I believe that humans are an"apex predator".
To a "croc" - you is a cupcake.
If the difference in the snout is a main identifyer, why is the gharial designated a croc and not an alligator?
Thank you so very much for the information that you have provided ,it has helped me a lot to learn more about Crocodiles and Alligators. just a few things are in my mind just I would like to ask .. how can one determine whether it's a male or female? are the female cros and gators as evenly or are more stronger then the male cros and gators? can a male Croc or gator kill their females for food?
In argument with difference crocs crawl whole body but tail off ground gators slither
Do crocs and alligators kill the same way ?
Paul, I’m trying to put my daughter to bed when she starts asking he difference between crocs and gators - of course I had to look it up for her before she fell asleep and your article was one of the first results and definitely the BEST. Great, informative article!
I don't agree with the claim that alligators are only found in us and in China, there are alligators in Nigeria, I don't know of every place but in my area we have alligator, though not commonly seen as the crocodiles.
commenting about Athena
its because the everglades has brackish water
Thank you very much. I now know the difference between crocodiles and alligators, but I have a doubt. I tis clear to me that crocodiles and alligators live in different places around the world but, why can there be crocodiles and alligators in the same place: The Everglades.
I found this article very interesting. I now know the differences between crocodiles and alligators.
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Any crocs in New Zealand?
Q: What's the similarity between a Crocodile and Windows? A: Neither of them has enough bytes!
that was by animaljokes.com. ANYWHO... CROCODILES ARE AWESOME!
very very fun to read
In terms of cowboy boots, does alligator or caiman leather hold up better than cow leather?
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
- AUTHOR
Habitat is Number 3.
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 :)
- AUTHOR
Alligators are actually pretty timid and will try to run/swim away if approached. I think it's still best to be wary of them, as they have a bonecrushing bite! :-)
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!
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Thank you for pointing out the video problem, Will. I have now replaced it! :-)
Your second vid comes up as 'private' which is a shame- the first one was great.
I enjoyed the rest of the page, too.
- AUTHOR
Thank you very much for your kind words and the podcast feature, Simone. I am honored by your interest in my work! :-)
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 :)
- AUTHOR
Thank you for your kind words, Shai.
You have wonderful and interesting Hubs.
Loved it!!!
- AUTHOR
Well, I certainly wouldn't advise cuddling one of them, that's for sure! :-)
wither way they both scary animals lol
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