CROCODILE VS. ALLIGATOR

Crocodile = 11 species
Alligator = 7 species

Crocodiles: Reptilia > Crocodylia > Crocodylidae		Alligators: Reptilia > Crocodylia > Alligatoridae
No Overbite. Teeth are visible when mouth is shut. Teeth of lower jaw fit into notches in upper jaw.	Teeth	Overbite. Teeth are not visible when mouth is shut. Teeth in upper jaw overlap teeth in lower jaw.
Usually snout is narrow.	Snout	Usually snout is broad.
Average of 8 to 20 feet. Average of up to 1,600 pounds.	Size	Average of 3.5 to 15 feet. Average of 65 to 500 pounds.
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AMERICAS: Southern Florida, Central America, Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba ASIA: Malaysia, Indonesia, Indo China, Philippines AFRICA: Africa: from Sahara to Cape Province, Madagascar AUSTRALIA: Northern Australia.		AMERICAS: Southern North America to Central South America ASIA: Yangtze Kiang Delta
Fresh water, Brackish water, Sea Water Rivers, Swamps, Canals, Water Holes, Sea Inlets	Habitat	Fresh water, Brackish water Rivers, Swamps, Canals, Water Holes

• There are 23 living species order of Crocodylia. Not all are crocodiles and alligators.
• There are 7 species of alligator:
  • Alligator mississippiensis - Mississippi Alligator, American Alligator
  • Alligator sinensis - Chinese Alligator
  • Caiman crocodilus - Narrow-Snouted Spectacled Caimans (includes several subspecies)
  • Caiman latirostris - Broad-Snouted Spectacled Caiman
  • Melanosuchus niger - Black Caiman
  • Paleosuchus palpebrosus - Dwarf Caiman
  • Paleosuchus trigonotus - Smooth-Fronted Caiman
    • The smallest alligator is the Smooth-Fronted Caiman. This animal grows to about 4 feet.
    • The largest alligator is the American Alligator which grows to over 18 feet.
• There are 11 species of crocodile:
  • Crocodylus acutus - American Crocodile
  • Crocodylus cataphractus - Panzer Crocodile
  • Crocodylus intermedius - Orinoco Crocodile
  • Crocodylus johnstoni - Australian Crocodile
  • Crocodylus moreletii - Morelet's Crocodile
  • Crocodylus niloticus - Nile Crocodile
  • Crocodylus novaeguineae - New Guinea Crocodile
  • Crocodylus palustris - Swamp Crocodile
  • Crocodylus porosus - Saltwater Crocodile
  • Crocodylus rhombifer - Cuban Crocodile
  • Crocodylus siamensis - Siamese Crocodile
  • Osteolaemus tetrapis - African Dwarf Crocodile
  • Tomistoma schlegeli - False Gavial, Sunda Crocodile
    • The smallest crocodile is the African Dwarf Crocodile. It rarely grows bigger then 5 feet long.
    • The largest crocodile is the Saltwater Crocodile. One found in the wild was said to weigh 4,400 pounds and measure over 28 feet long.
• Most alligators have blunt snouts. Most crocodiles have narrow pointed snouts. In many cases, one can tell whether an animal is a crocodile or an alligator by it's snout. But this doesn't always work! Not every crocodile's snout is narrower than every alligator's snout. For example Morelet's crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) has a broader snout than Narrow-Snouted Spectacles Caiman(Caiman crocodilus ).

For more info see:

Species Spotlight on Alligator mississipiensis

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT on Caiman crocodilus

Alligators vs. Crocodiles

The Stupendous Page of Crocodiles and Alligators

American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

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