But there are only 1, or so crocodiles, which are listed as endangered by the federal government and threatened by the state. Not just gators: American crocodile adapts to changing Everglades, study shows. They live primarily in saltwater habitats like ponds, mangrove forests and coastal creeks.
Sometimes confused with the much larger and more aggressive crocodiles found in Australia, Africa and southeast Asia, the American crocodile Crocodylus acutus is relatively docile and shy. More: 'I came down on the alligator with all my weight. Watch video: 'I used the front like a hippo mouth': Florida man catches alligator in trash can to 'protect my kids'. Females begin building nests in March and typically lay about 40 eggs in late April or early May. This means that they are capable of spending days, or even weeks at sea.
This difference explains why crocodiles have managed to spread across the islands of the Caribbean, and alligators haven't. Notice that the snout of this adult crocodile looks pointed and some of the teeth on the lower jaw are clearly visible, in spite of the mouth being closed. Public domain image CC0 via pixabay. Crocodiles often have many visible teeth sticking out over their lips, giving them a very jagged "smile," but since an alligator's upper jaw is wider than its lower, it can hide all its teeth when its mouth is closed.
Here's a close-up of the crocodile's teeth with its mouth shut. An adult crocodile can grow up to roughly 19 feet long, whereas for alligators, the maximum length is around 14 feet, so generally speaking, crocodiles are larger. An alligator in Florida: Notice that the hide is a very dark gray color. The color of a gator's hide varies according to the water it swims in. Algae makes them greener, and tannic acid from the overhanging trees makes them darker.
Crocodile hides tend to be more of a light tan or olive color, whereas alligators are usually a dark blackish grey. The exact shade of an alligator skin depends upon the quality of the water it swims in. Tannic acid from overhanging trees will make them darker, algae will make them greener. A young alligator basking. As they get older, their hides gradually lose their stripey pattern and become darker.
On Land : Both can can move quickly on land, but only for short distances. They can both "gallop" or "sprint" but only do it when threatened, and not for long.
A crocodile might reach almost 9 mph 14kph , while an alligator might reach a maximum speed of about 11 mph 18 kph. In Water: They're both much more agile and fast in water where they can use their long, muscular tails to propel their bodies forward. When crocodiles swim, they might reach speeds of about 9 mph 15 kph , while alligators might reach a maximum of 20 mph 32 kph. Alligators, while definitely dangerous, are relatively timid compared to crocodiles.
An alligator will generally try to escape if approached by humans, usually heading for the nearest water. The only time that wild alligators will attack humans is if they are unexpectedly disturbed, provoked, or defending their young. Alligators are instinctively afraid of humans but can lose some of that fear with regular contact. Except in controlled conditions, feeding them is almost always a bad idea as they will lose some of their fear and see humans as a source of food.
They can also mistake small children and pet dogs for prey. Crocodiles, on the other hand, are much more bad-tempered and far more likely to attack humans, even unprovoked. Australian saltwater crocodiles are generally considered the most dangerous in the world, followed by Nile crocodiles. American crocodiles, on the other hand, are one of the more timid types that you will find and rarely attack humans.
In the US, you are more likely to be attacked by an alligator than a crocodile, although attacks by either are very rare. Crocodilia is an order of large, semiaquatic, predatory reptiles that includes alligators, caimans, gharai, and crocodiles. These are all known as "crocodilians," but only some are true crocodiles, and they're not related closely enough to interbreed.
Crocodiles might win for bite strength alone. The strongest have a bite pressure that measures 3, pounds per square inch, while the strongest alligators' bites are about 2, In terms of size, crocodiles win again. The biggest recorded croc was about 2, pounds and over 23 feet long, while the largest recorded gator was about 1, pounds and 19 feet long.
Lastly, in terms of aggression, crocodiles would still win, as they are much more aggressive and likely to attack, even if unprovoked. According to CrocBITE , a database that keeps track of crocodilian attacks worldwide, the Nile crocodile is the one humans should be the most afraid of.
Since the year , there have been 33 human fatalities caused by American gators and crocodiles combined compared to caused by Nile crocodiles alone. The short answer is that Florida has both, but alligators outnumber crocodiles by a large amount. Alligators live all over Florida, mainly in freshwater, such as swamps, rivers and lakes, though sometimes they can be found in brackish water.
Crocodiles live only in the southernmost tip of Florida and there are less than 2, of them according to estimates, they live in brackish and salt-water habitats. Answer: Gatorade was developed at the University of Florida and takes its name from the college sports teams, known as "Florida Gators".
The energy drink contains no actual alligators. Question: Do alligators and crocodiles have tongues, and if they do, are there any differences in them? Answer: Both alligators and crocodiles have tongues, but the tongues are different shapes, and sit in different places within their mouths. An alligator can stick its tongue out, but a crocodile can't, due to a membrane that holds its tongue in place on the roof of its mouth to stop the tongue moving.
Answer: No, they can't. Although they look similar, they are genetically too far apart. Although related, they split into separate genera a long time ago. Question: I have heard about alligators surviving in frozen lakes in winter. Is that also possible for crocodiles? Answer: Crocodiles are less able to survive in colder climates where water freezes, which is one reason they are much less common than alligators in the southeastern USA and are only found at the southernmost tip of Florida.
They also tend to live in salt or brackish water - which is much less likely to freeze - especially in the subtropical and tropical climes where they usually live. Answer: Wild alligators have a natural fear of humans and will usually attempt to escape if approached. Alligators can lose their built-in fear if they become used to humans, however, which is why you should never feed wild alligators. Answer: There have been a number of studies on this, and there is no total agreement.
Part of the problem is that there are different ways to measure bite strength. Currently, the general opinion is that the size of the animal is the deciding factor, regardless of whether it is an alligator or crocodile.
The bigger crocodile species will therefore tend to have stronger bites than alligators, but it depends on the relative sizes of the actual animals being compared. Answer: No, because although they might look fairly similar, they belong to separate species Alligatoroidea and Crocodyloidea.
This essentially means that they are too different genetically to produce children. So don't expect to see any "crocogators" soon! Answer: There is actually only one place in the world where alligators and crocodiles live side by side, that is the southernmost tip of Florida.
The two animals don't usually fight, but crocodiles, as a species, are generally more aggressive. Answer: Alligators and caimans belong to the same family, alligatoridae, and therefore have a lot of similarities, but they are separate species. On the other hand, it is typical for young batches of crocodile babies to come from multiple mates. Crocodiles live longer than alligators. The average lifespan of a crocodile is between years, while the average lifespan of an alligator is usually between years.
If you take an airboat tour of the Everglades with Everglades Holiday Park, the airboat captains may be able to point out some crocodiles they have seen for years and years. Toggle navigation. Learn About our Group Discounts. Number of Adults 12 years and older. Number of Kids years of age. If you see an alligator in the wild, you'd better say, "See you later! Likewise, it's best to tell a crocodile, "After a while! These animals can be very dangerous and are not to be messed with.
All kidding aside, alligators and crocodiles do look quite similar to most people. That's to be expected, since they're from the same scientific order Crocodilia. They're from different scientific families, though, so there are significant differences between the two.
If you know how to tell them apart, they can be fairly easy to distinguish. Let's take a look at what differentiates these two fierce reptiles. Although you shouldn't approach either animal, looking closely at their teeth and mouths can tell show you some key differences. One of the easiest ways to tell alligators and crocodiles apart is by looking for teeth when their mouths are closed.
When alligators close their mouths, all their teeth are hidden. Crocodiles, however, have sharp teeth that are clearly visible when their mouths are shut. While you're looking closely at the animal's mouth, you'll also notice a difference in shape between alligators and crocodiles. Crocodiles tend to have snouts that are more pointed and V-shaped.
Alligators, on the other hand, have wider snouts shaped like a U. Some people can distinguish crocodiles and alligators by the color of their skin. Alligators are known for their dark green skin. Crocodiles tend to be lighter in color and more tan or brown than green. If you're in the wild, you might be able to make a good guess about which creature you're dealing with based upon your location. Crocodiles tend to inhabit saltwater habitats, while alligators are more likely to be found in marshes, swamps, and lakes with fresh water.
Overall, crocodiles are more common, since they can be found in many places around the world, especially Central America and most of the Eastern Hemisphere. Alligators, on the other hand, mainly live in the United States and China. Are you ready to learn more about alligators and crocodiles? Ask a friend or family member to help you explore the following fun activities:.
Great question, zach! You can also tell the difference between crocodiles and alligators by the color of their skin. It's a lot of fun to learn about so many different animals! Have you seen some of our other animal Wonders from our Life Science category? We're so glad to hear that, Wonder Friend! We hope you have fun exploring this week's Wonders of the Day!
We hope you'll stick around and learn some more with us! It's good to have self confidence. What do you like best about yourself? Hello there, payton! We're glad you visited Wonderopolis. We hope you, Malena, and Bella stop by again soon! Alligators and crocodiles can be pretty fierce and scary, Natalie! We certainly are real, hi! Sometimes that surprises people, but it's the truth. We hope you'll come back to Wonderopolis soon!
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