15 Major Difference between Alligator and Crocodile

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What is the difference between alligator and crocodile?

It is quite difficult for an inexperienced person to tell the difference between alligators and crocodiles.

The main difference between alligator and crocodile is that Alligators have U-shaped faces that are wide and short, while crocodiles have slender almost V-shaped muzzles.

The core difference between an alligator and crocodile is that crocodiles have a long and pointed V-shaped snout while alligators have a rounded U-shaped snout.

Read More: Difference between Monkey and Ape

What Is an Alligator?

An alligator is a large semi-aquatic reptile with a broader and shorter head. It belongs to the genus crocodilian and family of Alligatoridae.

The main species of alligators are Native American alligator and Chinese alligators. American alligators live in the freshwater of the ponds, rivers, lakes and swamps.

What Is a Crocodile?

A crocodile is a large predatory semi-aquatic reptile with horny textured skin, long jaws, long tail and short legs.

They belong to Chordata phylum and a family of Crocodylidae. They mainly live in saltwater and they have species all over the world like Asia, Africa and America.

Comparison Chart: Alligator Vs Crocodile

Basic Terms	Alligator	Crocodile
Colour	Black	Greyish Green
Shape of Snout	Round and U-shaped	Long and pointed V-shaped
Aggressiveness	Less	More
Preferred Water Type	Freshwater	Saltwater
Lifespan	30-50 years	70-100 years
Teeth of the Lower Jaw	Hidden	Visible
Lingual Salt Glands	Present but non-functioning	Present and functioning
Length of adult	4.3 Meters	5.8 Meters
Location of laying eggs	Mounds of vegetation in freshwater	Mud or sand
Colour of Young Ones	Black with yellow stripes	Light with dark stripes
Location of dermal pressure receptors	Limited on the jaws	All over the body
Habitat	The southern part of the USA and China	Africa, Australia, and America
Speed	Run-on land and swim in water faster	Run slowly on land and swim slowly
Mating	Single male	Several males
Family	Alligatordae	Crocodylidae

Main Difference between Alligator and Crocodile

Crocodile has a pointed and V-shaped snout while alligators have broad and U-shaped snout.

Alligators are found in southern parts of U.S.A and China while crocodiles are found all over the world.

The main habitat of the crocodile is saline water while alligator is freshwater.

The teeth of alligators are mostly hidden when the mouth is closed while crocodile cannot hide their teeth.

Adult crocodile tend to be several feet longer than an adult alligator

Alligators are dark in colour while crocodiles are greyish green in colour

Crocodiles move slower both on land and water while alligators move faster in both water and land.

Alligators are less aggressive while crocodiles are quite aggressive

Similarities between Alligator and Crocodile

Both belong to Crocodylia

Both live either on land or in water

Both lay eggs

Both are carnivores

Comparison Video

Summary

Alligators and crocodile belong to the same phylum. They have some close similarities in the way of operation but what set them apart is the family.

Due to the high demand for crocodile skin, several countries have developed policies that help to conserve them.

Understanding the difference between alligators and crocodiles is key especially if you have a hobby of touring the world.

More Sources and References

https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-alligators-and-crocodiles
https://www.livescience.com/32144-whats-the-difference-between-alligators-and-crocodiles.html

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