What’s the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
CROCODILES and alligators are some of the planet's oldest living creatures.
Nicknamed "living dinosaurs," these water reptiles have reportedly been around for 85million years.
What's the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
There is one preliminary difference between an alligator and a crocodile: their snouts.
Alligators have a wide, rounded, u-shaped snout.
Crocodiles, in contrast, have long, pointed, v-shaped snouts.
The shape of the alligator's snout means they can exert more power from their jaw, which is useful in cracking hard-vertebrae prey like turtles.
There are a few other differences, however, in telling the two apart.
Alligators' lower teeth are not visible while their mouths are shut, however, with crocodiles, some bottom teeth stick out, most notably their large fourth teeth.
Alligators are predominantly grey or black in color, while crocs are olive and tan.
Crocodiles are typically more aggressive than gators.
Where are alligators and crocodiles found?
Alligators are typically found in freshwater areas while crocodiles prefer saltwater habitats.
Crocodiles are found in tropical habitats of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
There are only two countries on earth where you can find alligators: the United States and China.
American alligators are found in the southeast of the United States. This includes all of Florida and Louisiana; the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi; coastal South and North Carolina; East Texas, the southeast corner of Oklahoma, and the southern tip of Arkansas.
Louisiana is the state with the largest alligator population.
Alligators are not endangered, while crocodiles are.
What do crocodiles and alligators eat?
In the wild, crocodiles eat insects, fish, small frogs, lizards, crustaceans, and small mammals.
Similarly, alligators are carnivorous and feed on fish, snails, and other invertebrates, birds, frogs, and mammals that approach the water's edge.
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Both creatures can run up to 11mph on land. Alligators can grow anywhere between 10-15ft long, where crocs reach an impressive 14-17ft and can weigh in excess of 2,000lbs.
An alligator's life typically spans 50 years, while crocodiles last 70 or so.