Crocodiles tend to be lighter in color and more tan or brown than green. So when a crocodile closes its mouth some of its teeth still show. Difference between alligator and crocodile difference. This is the second of 12 things you should know about alligators and everglades wildlife, a free ebook. Crocodiles and alligators compare and contrast third grade. Now that you know the difference between crocodile and the others, let us focus on the difference between caiman and alligator. Apr 08, 2020 the best way to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator is to look at the snout. One youll see in a while and the other youll see later. Malagasy nile crocodile, malagasy alligator or croco mada.
Crocodiles have a jagged fringe on their hind legs and feet. The 8 main differences between alligators and crocodiles owlcation. Gators can grow to be anywhere between 10 and 15 feet long as adults, weighing in at an average of 500 pounds. There are different species of alligators and crocodiles. Difference between alligator and crocodile difference between. This term encompasses not just the common alligators and crocodiles you might already know, but also the lesser known gavialidae family that contains the lone gavial, or. Another difference between alligators and crocodiles that can easily be noticed is the slight difference in their color.
The confusion is understandable, since all alligators are crocodilians, but not all crocodilians are alligators. Faq whats the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Based on their physical appearance it is easy to find the difference between them. Another distinguishing feature between the crocodile and alligator is their color. You can tell alligators and crocodiles apart mostly by the width of their snout. Neither is a caiman an alligator nor are the two crocodiles. Full of interesting facts, visuals, and a helpful comparison table, third graders and other science students will enjoy reading about these animals. Chinese alligators are smaller than their american counterparts. Crocodiles subfamily crocodylinae or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live. Crocodile, courtesy flickr user tambako the jaguar. Aug 06, 2008 another physical difference between the crocodile and the alligator is that the crocodile s upper and lower jaws are nearly the same width, so the teeth are exposed all along the jaw line in an interlocking pattern, even when the mouth is closed.
In terms of physical differences the easiest way to tell the difference between the two is that a crocodile has a very long, narrow, vshaped snout, while the alligator s snout is wider and ushaped. Often, when people use the word crocodile what they really mean is crocodilian. The 8 main differences between alligators and crocodiles. Crocodiles have long, narrow, vshaped snouts, while those of alligators are wider and ushaped. Alligators are often confused with their close cousins, the crocodiles. A crocodile s upper and lower jaw, however, are about the same width. An alligator, on the other hand, has a broad, blunt snout. One of the most commonly asked questions is what is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. While they do look similar, there are several important differences between them. So, to differentiate the two once and for all, we have created this article. An alligator s wider upper jaw overlaps its lower jaw when it closes its mouth. Sep 15, 2012 coming face to face with a crocodile or an alligator, youd see a mouth full of serrated teeth that would likely scare the bejeezus out of you. In addition, you can tell them apart by their sizes with the crocodiles being the bigger of the two.
Alligators are found in china and the united states. Crocodiles and alligators are both reptiles from the same order of animals, named crocodylia. Some people can distinguish crocodiles and alligators by the color of their skin. Difference between alligators and crocodiles compare the. In the wild, the crocs are truly endangered species, while there isnt a body of water larger than a puddle that isnt part of an alligator s territory. An alligator will have a wide, broad nose while a crocodile will usually have a narrow nose. The alligator s bottom teeth cant be seen when its mouth is closed because its upper jaw is wider than its lower jaw. Members of the orders total group, the clade pseudosuchia, appeared about 250. They first appeared 95 million years ago in the late cretaceous period cenomanian stage and are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the archosauria. This is illustrated below the alligator on the left does not have any sense organs, but the crocodile on. How to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. These differences are indicative of the type of diet that each species favors. For one, they are quite different in their physical structure.
Crocodiles are usually found in saltwater habitats, while alligators prefer freshwater areas. From a distance, its not too difficult to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile when looking at the shape of the snout and visibility of the teeth. What is the difference between alligator and elephant. Caiman and alligator belong to the genus alligator and species alligator mississippiensis. In that 50 % are belongs to crocodylus family whether oth. Apr 25, 2020 in terms of physical differences, observing the snout the mouth and nose is one of the simplest ways to distinguish between a crocodile and an alligator. Alligators tend to have a darker appearance than crocodiles. Crocodiles tend to live in saltwater habitats, while alligators.
The best way to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator is to look at the snout. For starters, crocodile belongs to the crocodylidae family, and the alligator along with the caiman belongs to the alligatoridae family. Aug 25, 2017 there is a general size difference between alligators and crocodiles. Crocodiles are typically more aggressive than gators. Crocodiles and alligators are the biggest reptilians on the planet. Crocodile and alligator skin wallets, handbags, boots etc are easy to tell apart if the scales have a small spot or dimple close to the edge, you know the skin is from a crocodile and not an alligator or caiman.
Theres an alligator family, which includes alligators and caiman. May 27, 2008 another physical differencedifferencedifference between the crocodile and the alligator is that the crocodile s upper and lower jaws are nearly the same width, so the teeth are exposed all along the jaw line in an interlocking pattern, even when the mouth is closed. The crocodiles snout is pointed and vshaped, and the alligators is wide and ushaped. The shape of each families jaws is another outward difference you can detect between the crocodile and alligator. Alright, lets sort out once and for all the differences between alligators and crocodiles. Many people tend to use the words alligator and crocodile interchangeably, implying that there is almost no difference between the two animals. The most obvious way to tell a crocodile, left, from an alligator, is from their snouts. If youre lucky or unlucky enough to find yourself face to face with a crocodile and an alligator, they might look the same at first glance with their toothy, scary grins and rough, bumpy skin. Jan 06, 2011 the crocodiles slimmer snouts are flexible for fishhunting while the alligators are wider, giving them greater power to crush their food prey.
Crocodiles have longer and thinner snouts than alligators. Apr 25, 2017 one of the easiest ways to tell the difference between the crocodiles and alligators is by looking at the shape of their snout. Whats the difference between alligators and crocodiles. What are the differences between an alligator and a crocodile. A newly discovered difference between alligators and crocodiles. There are total 28 numbers of species are existinig today of the crocodilians. Firstly, it is worth noting that the term crocodilians. Alligators, on the other hand, have wider snouts shaped like a u. Read on to find out what some of these differences are while enjoying all. While youre looking closely at the animals mouth, youll also notice a difference in shape between alligators and crocodiles. Alligators strongly favor freshwater while some species of crocodile live in seawater. Crocodiles tend to have snouts that are more pointed and vshaped. Read the following article to understand how the distinction can be done with just a couple of minutes of observation. An alligators upper jaw is wider than its lower jaw, meaning that teeth on its lower jaw are almost completely hidden when its mouth is closed.
Whats the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Get ready to learn more about the similarities and differences between these two ancient reptiles in this alligator vs. Difference between caiman and alligator samsung galaxy blog. If youre in north america, chances are youre looking at an alligator there are only few species of crocodiles that live there. These reptiles have managed to survive for 200 million years without evolving a lot and are popularly referred to as living fossils. There is a general size difference between alligators and crocodiles. An adult crocodile can grow up to roughly 19 feet long, whereas for alligators the length is around 14 feet. Both are mean looking, but their snouts are actually different in shape. The american alligator is the larger of the two species of alligator and typically ranges from 612 ft but can grow up to 19 ft.
The teeth of a crocodile are visible, even when the crocodile s mouth is closed, while alligator teeth are invisible until the mouth is open. There are a lot of similarities between these two species, but a difference between alligators and crocodiles can be found in a number of aspects as well. What is the difference between crocodiles, alligators and. However, if you look closely at their face, youll notice that their snouts dont look identical. Many people confuse crocodiles and alligators, and its no wonder the two animals are closely related. This is generally true, as per the illustration below.
Fish and wildlife service the two reptiles are close relatives. Great for new teachers, student teachers, homeschooling and teachers who like creative ways to teach. By looking at their noses it can be differentiated easily, for example, an alligator has a rounded nose which gives the impression of alphabet u while crocodiles have a long triangular nose which gives the idea of alphabet v when careful consideration is given. Crocodilia or crocodylia is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, known as crocodilians. In the wild, the crocs are truly an endangered species, while there isnt a body of water larger than a puddle that isnt part of an alligator s territory. Difference between crocodiles and alligators difference wiki. How to tell the difference between a crocodile and an. Focused on 21st century content, the which is which. Another notable difference between crocodiles and alligators is the visibility of the teeth on the bottom jaw.
This is illustrated below the alligator on the left does not have any sense organs, but the crocodile on the right does. But the families they belong to, alligatoridae and crocodylidae respectively, differ. Both families come from the order crocodilians or crocodilia, so. Alligators, while definitely dangerous, are relatively timid as compared to crocodiles, and will generally try to escape if approached by humans, usually heading for. The easiest way of telling apart crocodiles from alligators, however, is to look at their noses. This is often the question that people have whenever they shop for bags and shoes. What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. The difference between crocodile and alligator crocodile and alligator what is the difference between them. Crocodile and alligator differences animal facts for kids. Both alligators and crocodiles are massive reptiles. As nouns the difference between alligator and elephant is that alligator is contextobsoletelangen one who binds or ties or alligator can be a large amphibious reptile with sharp teeth and very strong jaws related to the crocodile and native to the americas and china informal short form. Another physical differencedifferencedifference between the crocodile and the alligator is that the crocodile s upper and lower jaws are nearly the same width, so the teeth are exposed all along the jaw line in an interlocking pattern, even when the mouth is closed.
Alligators are only found in parts of the us and china, whereas crocodiles can be found across the world. Let us first list the differences between crocodiles and the family of caiman and alligator. One example is the indian mugger crocodile, which has a wide jaw similar to an alligator but also has the prominent fourth tooth of a crocodile. One way you could tell whether youre about to be eaten by an alligator or a crocodile doesnt even require you to look the approaching killer in the face since alligators and crocodiles generally dont live in the same region, a good clue to their. Read on to find out what some of these differences are while enjoying all our animal facts for kids. Many assume that the chief difference between the large reptiles is the shape of their heads. Download pdf can you tell an alligator from a crocodile. Alligators have a more blackish grayish color and crocodiles tend to have a more light tan appearance. What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. An alligator s upper jaw is wider than its lower jaw, meaning that teeth on its lower jaw are almost completely hidden when its mouth is closed. When telling the difference between a crocodile and an alligator, the first step is to figure out where you are. Its fourth lower tooth cannot be seen when the alligators mouth is closed.
Purchased this book for my 5year old daughters 5th bday to go along with her crocodile theme party. Each species is unique, so there are some exceptions to these common differences. Crocodilian biology database faq whats the difference. The difference between an alligator and a crocodile. An alligator left with a rounded ushaped snout and a crocodile right with a vshaped snout in alligators, the upper jaw is wider than the lower jaw and completely overlaps it. If youre anywhere else in the world, its probably a crocodile. Those of alligators are wider and shorter, and crocodiles top. Crocodiles are usually found in saltwater habitats, while.
All three are reptiles and of the order crocodylia. The main difference between them is that crocodiles are so mean, the alligators are scared of them. Alligators have shorter, wider heads that are more ushaped than crocodiles. An alligator s broad snout is built for strength to help them crush their hardshelled prey such as turtles. Because of the wide snout of the alligator it packs more crushing power to eat prey like turtles that constitute part of its diet.
Jan 14, 2017 caiman or an alligator would not grow as large. For alligators, the upper jaw is wider than the lower one, so when they close their mouths, all their teeth are hidden. Jun 11, 2017 at first glance, if youve ever seen an alligator or crocodile, they may look very similar. Difference between crocodile and alligator simply elearn kids duration. Coming face to face with a crocodile or an alligator, youd see a mouth full of serrated teeth that would likely scare the bejeezus out of you. Alligators are freshwater animals, while crocodiles live in saltwater. Though a crocodile and an alligator look very similar and often people mistake one for the other, there is a difference between them. Alligators are characterized by a broader snout and eyes more dorsally located than their crocodile cousins. In terms of physical differences, observing the snout the mouth and nose is one of the simplest ways to distinguish between a crocodile and an alligator. Mistaking an alligator for a crocodile and vice versa is fairly common. If the animal has a shorter, wider, u shaped snout, its an alligator. But crocodiles tend to live in saltwater habitats, while alligators hang out in. For starters, crocodile belongs to the crocodylidae family, and the alligator along with. The two reptile groups are close relatives, so their.
Alligator jaws are more powerful than crocodile jaws and allow them to eat prey with hard shells, while crocodile jaws are designed for a broader range of prey. The crocodile or alligator book in the which is which. The chinese alligator is smaller, typically about 5 ft with a maximum length of about 7 ft. Say youre in the swamp and a menacing, hungry reptile heads your way your dying wish is to know the particular species of said attacker. Can you tell which one is the crocodile and which is the alligator. Whats the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. While many crocodiles live in freshwater, some also live in saltier sea water. There are however a number of important differences which set these apex predators apart. However, if you know a few facts about each animal, i think youll be able to tell them apart.
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