What is the difference between alligators and crocodiles?
Physical Differences Snout Shape: Alligators have a wide, rounded, u-shaped snout, while crocodiles have long, pointed, v-shaped snouts. Believe it or not, the difference in shape means that alligators can exert more strength from their mouths, which is useful in cracking open hard-shelled vertebrates, like turtles.
What are 3 differences between alligators and crocodiles?
Alligators are dark green or black, have u-shaped snouts, tiny black spots and are smaller than crocs. Crocodiles are bigger, have v-shaped snouts and are more aggressive. They also have visible bottom teeth and are light green, brown or light grey.
Where do crocodiles live vs alligators?
Alligators live only in the southeastern US and eastern China, whereas crocodiles can be found across the world in Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, North America, South America, and Central America. If you are in the US, then you are far more likely to encounter an alligator than a crocodile.
Do alligators eat humans?
It’s never a good idea to get purposefully close to an alligator, tempt, or provoke it in any way. However, alligator attacks are fairly rare—and they eat people even less commonly. Only a small fraction of attacks are deadly, and often the remains are found intact after an attack.
Do alligators eat dogs?
American alligators are reportedly quite fond of eating dogs. If you do walk your dog near the water, keep it on a leash and be on guard for any movement on or near the water.
Why are alligators and crocodiles called Reptile?
Crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials all belong to a group of reptiles called crocodilians. They are powerful predators with long snouts and big, side-flattened tails. The scales on their skin are especially thick and many are reinforced with bony plates. Some crocodilians have jaws that are strong enough to crush bone.
How can crocodiles be distinguished from alligators?
Though often mistaken for one another, the snouts of an alligator and a crocodile can be distinguished by their mouths being closed. Crocodiles’ teeth are exposed when they close their mouth while alligators have none visible from that angle.
Are alligators older than crocodiles?
Fun Fact: Crocodiles are older than Alligators. It is known that both crocodiles and alligators have lived on this planet for eons. Both species have ancestors that lived during the age of dinosaurs. The Crocodylidae family tree goes back to around 240 million years ago. Just for comparison, dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago.
Do alligators have relationships with crocodile?
Today, the only place on Earth where crocodiles and alligators live together and congregate is the Everglades of Florida (southeastern USA) – one of the few places in North America that are both hot and humid enough to host a huge amount of reptiles, including an estimated 1.5 million American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), as well as more than 1,000 American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus).