Many people understand the terms alligator and crocodile as synonyms, although we are not talking about the same animals, although it is true that they have very important similarities that clearly differentiate them from other types of reptiles: they are truly fast in the water, they have very sharp teeth and extremely strong jaws and are very intelligent when it comes to ensuring their survival.
However, there are also notorious differences between them that show that it is not the same animal, differences in anatomy, in the behavior and even in the possibility of staying in one habitat or another.
In this article on our site we explain the differences between alligator and crocodile.
Scientific classification of alligator and crocodile
The term crocodile refers to any species belonging to the order Crocodilia, however true crocodiles are those belonging to the order Crocodilia and in this order we can highlight the Aligatoridae family and the Gavialidae family.
Alligators belong to the Aligatoridae family, therefore, Alligators are only one family within the broad group to which alligators belong crocodiles, this term being used to define a much broader set of species.
If we compare the specimens belonging to the Aligatoridae family with the rest of the species belonging to the other families within the Crocodilia order, we can establish important differences.
Differences in the oral cavity
One of the biggest differences between the alligator and the crocodile can be seen in the snout. The snout of the alligator is wider and in its lower part it has a U-shape, on the other hand, the snout of the crocodile is thinner and in its lower part we can observe a V-shape.
There is also a significant difference in the teeth and structure of the jaw. The crocodile has both jaws practically the same size and this allows you to see the lower and upper teeth when the jaw is closed.
On the other hand, the alligator has a lower jaw that is thinner than its upper jaw and its lower teeth are barely visible when its jaw is closed.
Differences in size and color
Sometimes we can compare an adult alligator with a young crocodile and observe that the alligator has larger dimensions, however, comparing two specimens in the same maturation conditions, we will observe that generallycrocodiles are bigger than alligators.
The alligator and the crocodile have scales on their skin of a very similar color, however, in the crocodile we can observe spots and dimplespresent on the edges of the ridges, a characteristic that caiman does not have.
Differences in behavior and habitat
The alligator can only live in freshwater areas, on the other hand, the crocodile has specific glands in the oral cavity that it uses for filtering the water, therefore, it is also capable of living in s altwater areas, however, it is common to find some species that are characterized by living in a freshwater habitat despite having these glands.
The behavior of these two animals also differs, since the crocodile is very aggressive in nature but the alligator shows less aggressiveness and is less likely to attack humans. Find out what the crocodile feeds.
