We all know the classic farewell dialogue, “See you later, Alligator. In a while, crocodile.” But did you know that the Everglades are one of the few places in the world where you can see both an alligator and a crocodile? In most environments, that farewell back-and-forth would not even be possible, not just because alligators and crocodiles do not speak English, but because in most places of the world, alligators and crocodiles do not live in the same area.
Now, while both reptiles are very similar, there are some very key differences in distinguishing an American alligator from an American crocodile. If you know these differences, you can impress your family and friends on the next airboat ride when you see them.
First, look at the mouth. An alligator’s snout is larger, wider, and more u-shaped. Plus, it has a wide upper jaw so its lower jaw fits directly into the sockets of its upper jaw Crocodiles have smaller snouts but their upper jaw line and teeth are almost the same width so you can see all their teeth in the jaw line. The teeth of an alligator are dull whereas crocodiles have sharp and bright teeth.
If you are not close to their mouth, and that certainly is not a bad thing, you can still tell the difference from a distance. Alligators have dark coats whereas crocodiles have lighter coats. Alligators also have shorter, wider heads that, like their snouts, are U-shaped. Crocodile heads look more like the letter, “V.”
Lastly, you can easily tell the difference between the two by their behavior. Alligators favor freshwater and are not very aggressive. Crocodiles, on the other hand, prefer seawater and are much more aggressive. Also, crocodiles will stick out their fourth tooth when they are approaching prey.
While we cannot promise that you can see a crocodile say, “See you later” to an alligator if you take one of our Florida airboat rides, you might be able to see these two animals more up close and personal than anywhere else. Visit our website or call us at 866-532-7167 to learn more. Hopefully, we’ll see you in a while, crocodile.
