Crocodiles vs. Alligators

Animals are of interest to everyone. People who visit zoos or watch TV channels such as National Geographic develop the need to find more about the creatures they see behind the bars on television screens. Alligators and Crocodiles are two species which have been deemed similar for a long while before the actual differences between them were known to humans. The question about crocodiles and their types arise very often. There are many dissimilarities among these two animals, and they will be discussed in detail to give a general idea of how they are separated from each other. By their classification, it can be concurred that they both belong from different families. There are three main types of animals which are categorized according to the differences, and they are called alligatorids, Crocodylidae, and Gavialidae. The alligators belong to the first family while crocodiles belong to the second family. Based on their physical appearance it is easy to find the difference between them. By looking at their noses it can be differentiated easily, for example, an alligator has a rounded nose which gives the impression of alphabet U while crocodiles have a long triangular nose which gives the idea of alphabet V when careful consideration is given. The round nose of alligators helps them to withstand pressure and load, it also makes it easier for them to chew their food. Conversely, for crocodiles their pointed noses don’t give them enough strength as compared to alligators but still helps them to bite their prey. Another difference between these two large animals is their teeth. In the case of alligators, they have different jaw sizes, the upper jaw takes over the lower jaw and is bigger in size as compared to the lower one. For crocodiles, the upper and bottom jaws are almost the same sizes so they can easily place their teeth between each other. Another main difference is that crocodiles are less hostile while alligators are considered peaceful creatures. Crocodiles have salt glands on their tongue which help them to digest food and manage secretions which are not present in alligators. Both of them also have sensing organs, but they have different placement. There are many more differences too, which can be written down. Details of both these types are presented in the next two paragraphs.