Alligator vs. Crocodile: What's the Difference?

Here are a few significant differences between these amphibious apex predators.

1. Snout Shape

One of the key contrasts between alligators and crocodiles is their snout shape. A crocodile's V-shaped snout and wider upper jaw allows it to hide its teeth and deliver a stronger bite, cracking through tough skin and hard-shelled turtles. (In fact, the saltwater crocodile has the second strongest animal bite in the world.)

Meanwhile, both the upper and lower jaw of the alligator's rounded snout match up to hide the animal's lower teeth. Gators' U-shaped snouts and crowded interlocking jaws make many of their lower teeth stick out of their mouths — except for their large fourth tooth, which fits into a special pocket of their upper jaw.

2. Size

Alligators and crocodiles are extremely large reptiles, but in terms of average size, alligators are typically smaller than crocodiles.

An adult male American alligator can grow to a maximum length of 14 feet (4.2 meters), while an adult crocodile can reach an astounding maximum length of 20 feet (6 meters). Even when we look at extremes, the largest crocodile in captivity was a full 4 feet (1.2 meters) longer than the largest alligator ever caught.

3. Habitat

Crocodiles tend to prefer brackish water (a mix of fresh and saltwater) near coastlines, while alligators live in primarily freshwater environments; even freshwater crocodiles can tolerate saltwater for a bit. This is one of the main reasons why you'll see zoo maintenance workers cleaning alligator pools in separate enclosures from their crocodilian counterparts.

Although both alligators and crocodiles can survive for short periods of time in either environment, most crocodiles live in brackish estuaries like the South Florida Everglades.

Crocodiles can leave these saltwater environments and travel into freshwater hunting grounds because they possess lingual salt glands. Lingual salt glands excrete excess salt to regulate the crocodile's body cellular composition. These salt glands also help crocodiles complete this process without losing a significant amount of water, reducing the risk of dehydration.

4. Feet

Alligators have webbed feet, whereas crocodiles have separated toes. You can also identify a crocodile by the uniquely jagged fringe at its feet and hind legs.

There are only two members of the Alligatoridae family.

American Alligators

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is the largest species of the Alligatoridae family and is native to the Southern United States and northern regions of South America. Male alligators can grow up to 14 feet (4.2 meters) long, while females are typically smaller at a maximum of 10 feet (3 meters) in length.

Wild alligators are endangered in South Florida and other Gulf states due to poaching, urban encroachment and other forms of habitat loss. That said, conservation efforts have increased the population to a more sustainable level in the Florida Everglades in recent years.

Chinese Alligators

The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is a critically endangered species that once roamed vast expanses of China's Yangtze River basin, but the only place you'll find them today is in a few provinces in East China.

They are one of the smallest crocodilians, typically growing to about 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 2.4 meters) long. They have a wide upturned snout, a broad top jaw and a bony plate on the top of their skull that is not present in alligators in the Americas.

There are 14 different species of "true" crocodiles in the world, and they mostly fall into one of these two environmentally based categories. (Remember, a lot of these crocs prefer brackish water and can tolerate either habitat for short stints.)

12 Freshwater Crocodile Species

Unlike their saltwater cousins, the Nile crocodiles prefer freshwater areas in Sub-Saharan Africa and follow a generalist diet of just about anything they can sink their large fourth tooth into.

2 Saltwater Crocodile Species

The crocodile wins in a classic, Godzilla-style matchup due to its sheer size and power. The largest croc ever measured was 20.24 feet (6.17 meters); the longest gator ever measured was 15 feet, 9 inches (4.8 meters). Crocs also tend to outweigh alligators, and they have the strongest bite in the animal kingdom.

Even without the alligator/crocodile size mismatch, crocodiles tend to be more aggressive than alligators. So, long story short, crocodiles win nine times out of 10.

Both alligators and crocodiles are instinctively afraid of people and will rarely attack humans. However, they may see children, pet dogs and other animals as potential prey if they are desperate.

Just because these creatures prefer to avoid people, it doesn't mean they will not attack humans when provoked. Keeping a safe distance and avoiding natural habitats is always the best course of action.

It's also important to know that crocodiles and alligators are faster than they appear, and people shouldn't underestimate these creatures because of their lazy, sun-bathing nature.

Full-grown crocodiles can reach top land speeds of 15 to 22 miles per hour (24 to 35 kilometers per hour), and once their top jaw and upper teeth lock down on an arm or leg, it can be nearly impossible to pry them loose. Safe to say this is one toothy grin you want to avoid.

Yes, there are other crocodilians! Caimans are a group of small- to medium-sized crocodilians that are native to Central and South America. They are smaller than both alligators and crocodiles and usually grow to be 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) long.

Caimans have a U-shaped snout and sharp teeth for hunting fish and smaller game. You can find caimans in various swamps, lakes, and rivers throughout Central America, feeding on various fish, birds and other small prey from Mexico to Argentina.

6 Caiman Species

We updated this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.