Alligator or Crocodile?

Blog Posted by Christine Phillips: 8/28/2013 9:23:00 AM

Dear Soupers:

Can someone explain the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?

Do you know how many alligators live in the USA and their prominent
hang out spots?

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Carol
Eastman

Date: 8/29/2013 2:44:00 PM

The Florida canals around the waterways are full of aligators... They occassionally get peoples pets and those crazy enough to try to save the pets... Well I have heard of a few to loose a limb or more... One teacher (for a nephew) lost her life to a gator along a canal there in Florida... People love homes along the man made canals so they can park their boats there... It creates a definate problem, occassionally. For a while they were a protected species... Don't know if they still are...

Christine Phillips
Date: 8/29/2013 7:21:00 PM

Hi Carol, you are absolutely right. Most of the Alligators hang out in the South eastern region, with Florida and Louisiana with the highest number of this cold blooded reptile.

Mandy
Tams The Golden Girl

Date: 8/29/2013 12:35:00 PM

you can't smile at a crocodile as captain hook found out but you can a gator, so if you are not sure just smile and then you will find out the difference lol xx

Painted
Hunter

Date: 8/29/2013 7:19:00 AM

Ya'll done got me started talkin' about critters so I'm gonna keep going...haha. The colors are different too. Crocs are grayish green or sorta olive brownish..ha.. and gators are almost black with slight green tints. Crocs have some kind of a special gland in them(don't recall the name of it), that allows them to get rid of excess salt. Gators don't care for salt water. They are in the same family along with caimans. I think it's called crocadilla or something like that....both reptiles. Here's a fun fact....a group of gators is called a congregation...haha. But wait...there's more....crocs are more aggressive than gators and tend to get bigger...in length, anyhow.

Painted
Hunter

Date: 8/29/2013 6:55:00 AM

Well...they look quite different for one...crocs have narrow v-shaped snouts suited for catching fish and small mammals. Also, the jaws line up so that their teeth basically interlock when the mouth is closed. Gators have wide U-shaped snout and more jaw strength, suited for crushing turtles and larger mammals. Also, their lower jaws aren't quite as wide so that their bottom teeth are hidden when the mouth is closed. Crocs are native to parts of North, Central, and South America...also parts of Africa and Australia...more suited for salt water and even drier condition...they don't mind soaking up some sun. Gators are native to parts of China and the Southern US...mostly around the Gulf.

Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/30/2013 3:09:00 PM

CALIB...........you carnivor!!!!!

Painted Hunter
Date: 8/29/2013 7:00:00 AM

Oh, and I don't know what croc tastes like but gator is gooooood...;)

Painted Hunter
Date: 8/29/2013 6:59:00 AM

They like the swamp. There are a few gators around here, but not many. I've only ran across a couple outside of the zoo. They were brought to this area (Arkansas) to help control the beaver population. How many in the US?...don't know

Charmaine
Chircop

Date: 8/28/2013 7:38:00 PM

Dentist says its in their jaw.... Its in their colour too..One has a darker tan then the other : )

Charmaine Chircop
Date: 8/28/2013 7:47:00 PM

Crooked teeth Crocs live in salty waters and gators in fresh waters. : ) What more?

Andrea
Dietrich

Date: 8/28/2013 2:52:00 PM

well, let's see. Crocodiles cry crocodile tears and alligators don't. hahaha. sorry, there IS a big difference as the two ladies below have mentioned.

Kabuteng P.Ink
K.

Date: 8/28/2013 11:15:00 AM

My mind's sorta mega fuzzy with sleep now, but couldn't resist not answering here, took a quick peek and saw this. And yup, i could be majorly wrong so pls correct me if I am. Maybe they're even of diff genus? Not sure, escapes me now. But yup, Frank, Alligators are smaller and their mouths are pointier than those of crocodiles, which have blunter snouts and are generally bigger. My memory fails me yet again, but yeah, i think the largest/longest crocodile that was captured was here from the Philippines. They named him Lolong. Pls look it up if you're interested. But sadly, he died in captivity. Such a shame. Croco-doo-doo-piles are everywhere, my country's in an uproar these days over a bunch of our politicians Combined with piggy (Hogs? Hmm actually an insult to pigs and hogs and other animals, I mean with how some of our politicians here can be, how can they look at themselves in the mirror and sleep????) pork barrels and scammers, just those with no conscience, makes blood boil. I better stop. Sorry for the bit of rant here. I just better go back to sleeping.

Carol
Eastman

Date: 8/28/2013 10:46:00 AM

Crocodiles have crooked irregular teeth when you look at them and their skin is more bumpy... They're a different species and don't live in the same places. Competition... you know.