What is the difference between American Alligators and American Crocodiles?
The difference is easiest to see in the shape of their heads. Alligators have very wide, round shovel-like snouts, while Crocodiles have very narrow snouts. When their mouths are closed, only the upper jaw teeth are visible on Alligators, while both upper and lower jaw teeth are visible on Crocodiles. Crocodiles are generally lighter in color than Alligators. Both have bony plates on their backs, called osteoderms, which are taller on Crocodiles than they are on Alligators. In behavior, American Crocodiles are usually much more reclusive and will shy away from people quicker than American Alligators. Is it true that American Crocodiles don’t have tongues? No. All Crocodilian species have tongues. Crocodiles’ tongues are much smaller than Alligators’ tongues because of their head shapes. But, Crocodiles have glands on their tongues to help them expel excess salt. These allow them to stay in salt or brackish water while Alligators need to return to fresh water to flush salt from their sy
