Crocodiles are usually found in saltwater habitats, while alligators prefer freshwater areas. With eyes on the top of their heads, theyre tough to surprise. Alligators and crocodiles share a similar physical appearance. Each species is unique, so there are some exceptions to these common differences. Fish and wildlife service the two reptiles are close relatives. Crocodile leather is another exotic leather option, though it is considered a notch lower in the level of luxury and finesse when compared to alligator leather.
When their snouts are shut, crocodiles look like theyre flashing a toothy grin, as the fourth tooth on each side of the lower jaw sticks up over the upper lip. Other differences include the shape of their jaws and hind legs. That of a crocodile is vshaped, it is also longer and narrower. The shape of each families jaws is another outward difference you can detect between the crocodile and alligator. Difference between crocodile and alligator comparison between crocodile and alligator this a fight to a better predator differences are based on the snout, teeth, habitat,mating, behavior, sizes etc. Though a crocodile and an alligator look very similar and often people mistake one for the other, there is a difference between them. Many differences between the two reptiles center on their heads and mouths, but researchers in japan have found features in their limbs that. Developed by education experts, this series of books for beginner readers is spread across four levels. How to tell the difference between a crocodile and an. Most adult caimans would be anywhere from five to seven feet in. 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.
An alligators eyes are closer together than a crocodiles. Now i know that a crocodile s head is more narrow and its snout is more pointed that an alligator s. Alligators and crocodiles share plenty of similarities, but there are actually key differences between them. Crocodilian biology database faq whats the difference. Eyes situated atop their heads enable them to keep a lookout for prey, while their powerful tails swiftly propel them through the water. Jul 01, 2019 crocodiles and alligators are the biggest reptilians on the planet. Alligator snouts are also shorter than crocodile snouts. Whats the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. What is the difference between alligators and crocodiles. The jaws found on a typical crocodile and an alligator are also different. But crocodiles tend to live in saltwater habitats, while alligators hang out in. The two cousins show a number of physical and ecological differences that are usually enough to tell an alligator vs crocodile apart. The easiest way to tell the difference between crocodiles and alligators is to look at their snouts.
This is illustrated below the alligator on the left does not have any sense organs, but the crocodile on the right does. Difference between crocodile and alligator alligator vs. For starters, crocodile belongs to the crocodylidae family, and the alligator along with the caiman belongs to the alligatoridae family. Crocodiles typically have long, pointed snouts that are vshaped, whereas alligators possess more rounded snouts that are more ushaped. What are the differences between an alligator and a crocodile.
Categorized under animals,nature difference between alligator and crocodile it is not uncommon for people to mistake a crocodile for an alligator. So, to differentiate the two once and for all, we have created this article. Alligators and crocodiles kindle edition by gibbons, gail. Alligators are only found in parts of the us and china, whereas crocodiles can be found across the world. The most obvious difference comes from their appearances. Crocodiles have a jagged fringe on their hind legs and feet. One ways is to look at how their teeth sit when their mouth is shut. How to tell the difference between alligators and crocodiles. 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.
Read on to find out what some of these differences are while enjoying all our animal facts for kids. Sep 15, 2012 whats the difference between alligators and crocodiles. 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. Crocodiles and alligators also differ in the shape of their snout. Many people have a hard time telling the difference between alligators and crocodiles. Its not that hard to tell an american alligator from a crocodile if you know what to look for. Whats the difference between alligator and crocodile. There is the american alligator and the chinese alligator. By contrast, the narrow snout of the crocodile is suited for fish as well as small mammals.
The best alligator and crocodile books for kids living. There are total 28 numbers of species are existinig today of the crocodilians. If the snout is v shaped with a thin, pointed nose, its a crocodile. A book about alligators and crocodiles by melvin a. He is associated with the nile crocodile or the west african crocodile and is. The most prominent and conspicuous difference between alligators and crocodiles is the snout. Difference between alligator and crocodile alligator vs. The difference between an alligator and a crocodile. Ideally suited for life in water and on land, members of the order can swim up to 20 mph 32 kph and run up to 11 mph 17.
Whats the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Alligators have wider, ushaped snouts, while crocodile front ends are more pointed and vshaped. Crocodilians have up to 80 teeth in their mouth at one time. Crocodiles have long and pointed, vshaped snouts while alligators have rounded, ushaped snouts. On the blog, we go over some key differences between the two that every floridian should know. How can you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Its fourth lower tooth cannot be seen when the alligators mouth is closed.
One youll see in a while and the other youll see later. What is the difference between a alligators eyes and. When crocodiles close their mouths, both upper and lower teeth are visible. Whats the difference between alligators and crocodiles. They also have eyes atop their heads which able them to keep an eye out for their prey. Jan 14, 2017 now that you know the difference between crocodile and the others, let us focus on the difference between caiman and alligator. How to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Because of the wide snout of the alligator it packs more crushing power to eat prey like turtles that constitute part of its diet. Thus, its easy to spot the differences between crocodile and alligator skin simply by looking for the telltale dots. Gators can grow to be anywhere between 10 and 15 feet long as adults, weighing in at an average of 500 pounds. This is an excellent book to introduce children and adults to the differences between alligators and crocodiles.
This difference is practically reflected in the pricing of the two varieties alligator leather products command a significant premium over similar crocodile leather products. Crocodiles and alligators are both reptiles from the same order of animals, named crocodylia. Apr 08, 2020 the best way to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator is to look at the snout. Alligator vs crocodile differences explained with videos. An alligators head is short and wide, while a crocodiles is. Aug 11, 2017 alligators and crocodiles are fascinating for most children.
In this extremely interesting nonfiction picture book, gibbons compares the two. Crocodile and alligator differences animal facts for kids. Alligators are related in the same family as the crocodile, but these two animals are very different. The chinese alligator is smaller, typically about 5 ft with a maximum length of about 7 ft. What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. Difference between alligator and crocodile difference between. They are both large, superficially similar reptiles belonging to the same order. Alligators and crocodiles by laura marsh goodreads. 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. The alligator has slanted, slitted eyes, while the crocodile has larger eyes.
A pair of eyes lurks just above the waters surface. When an alligator has its mouth shut, you wont see any of its teeth. Another notable difference between crocodiles and alligators is the visibility of the teeth on the bottom jaw. A newly discovered difference between alligators and crocodiles. For an alligator, the snout is u shaped and it is also wider and blunt. The crocodiles snout is pointed and vshaped, and the alligators is wide and ushaped. Read the following article to understand how the distinction can be done with just a couple of minutes of observation. The pits, which look like small dots, cover almost every inch of a crocodile s body, but only the jaws of an alligator. Early reader, becoming fluent, becoming independent. Both alligators and crocodiles are massive reptiles. Mar 17, 2020 the wide snout of the alligator packs more crushing power, making it easier to secure prey such as turtles. This list of the best kids books about alligators and crocodiles is sure to include a. This is often the question that people have whenever they shop for bags and shoes.
Very informative about the similarities and differences of alligators and crocodiles. Crocodilia or crocodylia is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, known as crocodilians. May 26, 2006 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. Many people tend to use the words alligator and crocodile interchangeably, implying that there is almost no difference between the two animals.
Mistaking an alligator for a crocodile and vice versa is fairly common. While they do look similar, there are several important differences between them. The 8 main differences between alligators and crocodiles. The main difference is that a crocodile has a narrow snout that comes to a point at the tip, and the fourth lower tooth is always visible even when the crocodiles mouth is closed. 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. 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. 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. Difference between caiman and alligator samsung galaxy blog. Apr 25, 2017 what is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. Yet once you learn a bit about them it doesnt take long to realize that there are several differences between the two. Theyre most at home in the water and can hold their breath for up to an hour. The difference between crocodile and alligator crocodile and alligator what is the difference between them. An alligator, on the other hand, has a broad, blunt snout.
In this article, well explain the main difference between alligator and crocodile species, as well as where you can find them, what they eat, and their relationship with humans. Crocodiles are typically more aggressive than gators. 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. Coming face to face with a crocodile or an alligator, youd see a mouth full of. Sobek in greek, suchos and from latin suchus crocodile, was an ancient egyptian deity with a complex and fluid nature. If the animal has a shorter, wider, u shaped snout, its an alligator. Dec 14, 2017 difference between crocodile and alligator comparison between crocodile and alligator this a fight to a better predator differences are based on the snout, teeth, habitat,mating, behavior, sizes etc. There are different species of alligators and crocodiles. Although the two are often confused for one another, there are many defining characteristics that differentiate between alligators and crocodiles. What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. In contrast, when a crocodile has its mouth shut, its back teeth stick up over the top lip, showing off a toothy grin. Alligators have a wide, rounded, ushaped snouts with larger noses, whereas crocodiles have longer, thinner, pointed vshaped snouts and smaller noses.
I adore books, so i want to share some of my and zoeys favorite alligator and crocodile books for kids. These differences are most obvious when you study their skulls. There, mummified crocodiles were employed as cult images of petsuchos. Crocodiles have longer and thinner snouts than alligators.
908 574 285 1302 1298 1275 1487 724 896 1282 233 783 94 738 1226 572 869 1463 673 1228 398 801 347 208 337 340 788 552 136 1331 1253 1071 1110 1020 972 138 521 575 175