What is the difference between alligators and crocodiles?

Some people don't distinguish any difference between alligators and crocodiles and use both names interchangeably to describe any large water-dwelling lizard with big teeth. What these people don't realize is that despite some similarities, the two reptiles don't look or behave the same way as each other. They also belong to different biological families. So what is the difference between alligators and crocodiles? Well, there are essentially five of them.

Alligators live only in southern USA and eastern China, whereas crocodiles can be found in Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, North America, South America and Central America. If you are in the USA, 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 southern tip of Florida, whereas alligators can be found right across Florida and Lousiana, and also in parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Alligators also heavily outnumber crocodiles in the USA with over 3 million alligators and under 2000 crocodiles.  Southern Florida is the only place in the world where you will find crocodiles and alligators living side by side.

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. The alligator bite is more powerful, because it is specialized for breaking open things like turtle shells. The crocodile’s snout is more suited to hunting general prey, including fish, reptiles and mammals. The snouts are easy to tell apart when closed as the alligator has none of its bottom teeth visible, whereas the crocodile’s lower fourth tooth can always be seen.

There is a difference between alligators and crocodiles in their typical size.  An adult crocodile can grow up to roughly 19 feet long, whereas for alligators the length is around 14 feet. Crocodiles also move faster on land. Alligators, while definitely dangerous, are relatively timid compared to crocodiles, and will generally try and swim away if approached by humans (unless they are unexpectedly disturbed, provoked, or they are defending their young!). Crocodiles are generally bad-tempered, however, and much more likely to attack even if unprovoked, with Nile crocodiles usually being seen as the most dangerous.

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 have these glands as well but they don’t work so well, so they usually stick to freshwater habitats, although they can sometimes be found in brackish water, which is a mixture of salt and freshwater.  This difference between alligators and crocodiles explains why crocodiles have managed to spread across the islands of the Caribbean and alligators haven't.

Crocodile hides tend to be more of a light tan, or olive color, whereas alligators are usually a dark blackish gray (the exact shade varies according to the quality of the water that the alligator swims in, tannin from overhanging trees will make them darker, algae will make them greener).

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