Alligators and Crocs are both fascinating creatures that are both loved and feared by many people who encounter them. However, many people don’t know the difference between alligators vs crocodiles.
This is very understandable as they have a very similar appearance and to the casual observer, can be difficult to tell apart.
In fact, many people who are not familiar with these animals dont even know that there is a difference between alligators vs crocodiles and think that it is simply two different names for the same animals.
In this article, we are going to look at the similarities between these animals and discuss the major differences between them.
Taxonomy – Alligators vs Crocodiles
Alligators and Crocodiles don’t just look alike by coincidence, they ate actually very closely related. We will look at this in more detail by studying their taxonomy.
Both Crocodiles and Alligators belong to the Order Reptilia. This essentially means that these predators are classed as reptiles.
Living examples of reptiles include Snakes, Lizards, Crocodilian, Turtles and Tuatara. Tuatara are a type of reptile that can be found in New Zealand.
Other examples of classes include mammals, amphibians, birds, bony fish and cartilaginous fish.
When you compare alligators vs crocodiles on the next level of the taxonomic tree, you will find that they are both classified under the order Crocodilia.
This shows that these animals are a lot closer related than the fact that they are simply both classified as reptiles.
This is an ancient group of reptiles that can be traced back over 95 million years. The early relatives of crocodilians can be traced back to 250 million years.
The order Crocodilia includes animals such as crocodiles, alligators, caiman and gharial. These animals are all often referred to as crocodiles but this term should be reserved for the ‘true crocodiles’.
Alligators belong to the family Alligatoridae while Crocodiles belong to the family Crocodylidae. This is where the relationship of alligators vs crocodiles starts to split.
The family Alligatoridae can be broken down into two sub-families, the true alligators and caiman.
There are only two living species of true alligator, the American alligator and the Chinese alligator.
There are 6 different species of caiman that can be found in Central and South America. Three of these are considered true caiman (belong to the genus caiman), they are the Spectacled Caimen, the Broad Snouted Caimen and the Yacare Caimen.
The Crocodylidae family contains all the different species of crocodiles. There are 17 different species in this family. It contains the ‘True Crocodiles’, the Dwarf Crocodiles and the African Slender-Snouted Crocodiles.
The genus of ‘True Crocodiles’ contains 13 different species that can be found in America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Some of the species of true crocodiles include the American Crocodile, the Nile Crocodile and the Saltwater Crocodile.
What are the Main Differences between Alligators vs Crocodiles
Alligators and crocodiles are very similar in many ways. However, there are key differences that can help you to tell them apart.
It is important to keep in mind that when comparing one group against another, there can always be ‘exceptions to the rule’. However, the following characteristics can typically be used to distinguish between the two animals.
One of the easiest ways to distinguish between alligators vs crocodiles is by examining their snout.
Alligators have a wide snout that is rounded. It is often described as U-Shaped. This helps alligators exert more force in their bite.
On the other hand, a Crocodile has a more pointed snout. They are often described as having a V-Shaped Snout.
One exception to this rule is the Mugger Crocodile who has a rounded U-Shaped snout. This makes them look more like an alligator.
The Jawline of these animals can also help to identify them. Alligators typically have a wide upper jaw while a crocodiles upper and lower jaw is the same size.
As their jaws are the same size, a crocodile’s teeth are exposed making them look that bit more intimidating.
An alligator’s teeth are not exposed when their mouth is fully closed as the wider upper jaw is able to hide the teeth.
The size of these animals can also be used to help identify them. With many different species, the size of each individual animal will vary.
However, in general Crocodiles are larger than Alligators and weight a lot more. If you ate familiar with the species of alligators and crocodiles in an area, this may help to identify them.
To put this into perspective, an American alligator can grow to around 14ft in length and weigh over 550kg.
In comparison, a Saltwater Crocodile can grow to over 20ft in length and are extremely heavy, weighing over 1,000kg.
In terms of coloration, alligators a typically black or grey in color while crocodiles are usually green or brown. Again, there are exceptions to this rule.
Crocodiles have lingual salt glands on their tongue which they use to expel excess salt. This allows them to live in salty water.
While alligators also contain this gland, the main difference between alligators vs crocodiles is that the glands are much weaker in alligators, limiting their tolerance of salty water.
Because of this limitation, alligators tend to live in fresh bodies of water such as lakes, swamps and marshes while crocodiles can thrive in salty water.
What are the Similarities Between Alligators vs Crocodiles
There are many similarities between alligators and crocodiles. Both of these reptiles are very similar in appearance but also have many similar behaviours.
Both alligators and crocodiles are excellent swimmers. They have long powerful tails that they use to help propel them through the water.
They are excellent ambush hunters and can stay submerged for very long periods of time. Most species can stay submerged for at least an hour.
Both species will often hunt at night where they will use their excellent ‘night vision’ to gain an advantage over unexpecting prey.
On land, both species often appear very immobile. This is because they will often sit motionless on the riverbank, basking in the sun.
However, both alligators and crocodiles are actually very mobile and can move quite fast on land. Many of these species can run at over 10 miles per hour.
Both alligators and crocodiles have integumentary sense organs or ISO’s for short. These are tiny organs that appear as black speckles.
These ISO’s allow the animals to detect tiny vibrations in the water. They use this to detect the movement of potential prey in the water.
The main difference between the integumentary sense organs in alligators vs crocodiles is that the organs are only found on the head of alligators but can be found on most of a crocodiles body.
Where do Alligators Live?
Alligators can be found throughout much of North, Central and South America. They can also be found in a small part of China.
In the United States, Alligators can be found in the South-Eastern part of the States.
In the South, they can be found in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Their also extends North and further in land.
In the Western portion of their range, they can be found as far North as Arkansas while in the East their range extends into South Carolina and North Carolina.
Outside of the United States, alligators can be found in small parts of Mexico. However, as you go further South you will start to find many more alligators and caiman.
They can be found in most Central American countries including Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
In South America, alligators and caiman can be found throughout most of the continent with their range extending as far South as parts of Northern Argentina.
They are not found on the Pacific Coast South of Ecuador as they are blocked of by the large Andean Mountain Range.
There is also a species of alligator that is native to China. It is known as the Chinese Alligator or the Yangtze Alligator. This species is endangered and can only be found in the Yangtze River valley.
Where do Crocodiles Live?
Crocodiles have a much larger geographical distribution than alligators. They can be found in North, Central and South America as well as Africa, Asia and Australia.
The only crocodile found in North America is the American Crocodile. This crocodile’s range is limited to the Everglades in Florida.
Crocodiles can be found throughout Central America. They can also be found on some of the Caribbean Islands such as Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
Crocodiles are only found in the Northern parts of South America. They can be found in countries such as Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.
In Africa, Crocodiles can be found throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa. They can also be found along the Nile River basin, which is home to the Nile Crocodile.
In Asia, Crocodiles can be found from India right across South-East Asia in countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
They can also be found in Malaysia, the Philippines and many of the Indonesian islands. They can also be found in Papua New Guinea.
In Australia, crocodiles can be found right along the Northern Coast of the country. Their range extends from the Western Territory right across to Queensland.
Alligators vs Crocodiles – What Do They Eat
Both alligators and crocodiles are stealthy apex predators that will feed on a wide variety of different animals. Both are opportunistic and aren’t too fussy when it comes to meal time.
However, they still have their own preferred sources of food and this can vary between species. It can also vary depending on the location of the animal.
In general, alligators will feed on things like fish, frogs, turtles and birds. They are even known to eat snakes and small sharks.
Crocodiles will feed on a wide variety of prey. They are capable of overpowering and killing animals much larger than themselves.
They willl feed on fish, deer, wildebeest, goats and cattle. They are even known to feed on the endangered Sea Turtle.
Hunting Techniques – Alligators vs Crocodiles
Alligators and Crocodiles are both large predators that use the waters to hunt or ambush their prey. Both of these animals are very efficient killers.
Underwater, alligators have a very good sense of vibration which they use to detect and locate prey. This makes up for their poor eyesight underwater.
Crocodiles have similar abilities to sense vibration and pressure changes underwater. Their receptors are highly sensitive, allowing them to detect very small vibrations.
This makes them very efficient at detecting prey. Because of this, they are even able to find prey in murky waters in the middle of the night without any issues.
Alligators are typically ambush predators meaning they will wait motionless for large periods of time until unexpecting prey comes within striking distance.
They will often wait motionless with their body submerged underwater. The only part of their body that they keep above the surface is their eyes and nostrils.
Alligators are very efficient killers and will use a number of techniques to kill its prey. When hunting in water, they will use their huge bite force to immediately kill smaller prey.
If they grab a larger mammal from the water bank, they will often drag them underwater and drown the prey before eating it.
They may also shake their prey violently or perform a ‘death roll’. These techniques are designed to cause maximum damage to large prey and will quickly result in death.
Crocodiles are very similar to alligators in how they hunt. They are also ambush predators that will wait motionless for a meal to come along.
They will use similar techniques to kill their prey but as some species of crocodiles are much larger than alligators, crocs have the ability to kill and eat much larger prey.
Crocodiles are very clever animals. They can learn where the best places are to hunt. If a group of animals come to the same spot at the edge of a river to drink, the crocodile will learn this and use it as his hiding spot to ambush the prey.
Crocodiles are also known to steal a kill from other predators. These large animals are usually top of the food chain and most animals won’t take them on. They are also known to be scavengers and will eat carrion.
