Welcome to the wonderful world of Crocodylia, or more specifically the order. Here, we’ll break down the differences between alligators and crocodiles, beyond which one will be seeing you later and which one will be seeing you in a while. 

Let’s start with a little background on crocodiles

Crocodiles have a pretty wide distribution: the 14 species belonging to the Crocodylidae family are found across Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. There is even a species in Cuba. 

Crocodile species pretty much only eat meat, and use their enormous jaws and incredibly powerful bite force to clamp onto their prey. They are pretty good at swallowing even large meals whole.

Moving onto alligators

Unlike crocodiles, alligators are one of only two “true alligator” species in the Alligatoridae family – the American alligator and the Chinese alligator – which also contains the subfamily Caimaninae or the caimans. 

Like the crocodile, they are both carnivores and live at the edge of water bodies such as lakes and swamps. American alligators live around 50 years in the wild, while reports suggest they can make it to 70 in captivity. Crocodiles, on the other hand, live longer and some even make it to 123.

Physical differences

Physically, there are many differences between all the species, but comparing a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) to an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) reveals some easy-to-spot ones. 

• Most often, crocodiles are greener and more tan colored than alligators, which are typically dark-colored and gray. 
• The shape of the snout is considered to be more U-shaped and broad in alligators, while it’s more pointed and V-shaped in crocodiles. 
• Another interesting observation comes from their teeth: the fourth tooth on the lower jaw is always visible to the naked eye on a crocodile, but on an alligator is hidden by a sneaky internal socket within the upper jaw. 
• Alligators have webbed feet whereas crocodiles have separated toes. 
• While it’s a close call, alligators tend to be smaller than crocodiles – though both species can reach a pretty whopping length. 
• It turns out that crocodiles lack the ability to stick their tongues out, while alligators can. This is because crocodiles have a membrane that holds their tongues in place inside their mouths, which keeps the throat seawater-free when swimming. Their tongues are also permanently rooted to the floor of their mouths meaning that they barely move at all.

Differences you can’t see

• Alligators tend to live in freshwater, while crocodiles prefer salty or brackish areas, this is why you’ll sometimes see videos of crocodiles swimming in the sea. 
• Reputationally, crocodiles are said to be more aggressive than alligators. 
• Both crocodiles and alligators possess pores known as integumentary sense organs. In crocodiles, they are distributed all over the body but in alligators are only found in the area around the mouth. Both species use them to detect movements in water and help locate prey species.
• Don’t ask about their genitals, no really, don’t ask.  

So now you know the differences between these species, we just don’t recommend getting close enough to any of them to actually test it out. Plus, if you love knowing the difference between oft-confused species, check out llamas and crows.