what is the difference between alligator and crocodile?

Answer 1

Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. The name alligator is an anglicized form of the Spanish el lagarto ("the lizard"), the name by which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator. There are two living alligator species: the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis).

Description
Alligators are characterized by a broader snout and eyes more dorsally located than their crocodile cousins. Both living species also tend to be darker in color, often nearly black but color is very dependent on the water. Algae laden waters produce greener gators. Waters with a lot of tannic acid from overhangiong trees are often darker. (although the Chinese alligator has some light patterning.) Also, in alligators only the upper teeth can be seen with the jaws closed (in contrast to true crocodiles, in which upper and lower teeth can be seen), though many individuals bear jaw deformities which complicate this means of identification.

The eyes of a large alligator will glow red and those of a smaller will glow green when a light is shined on them. This fact can be used to find alligators in the dark.

According to the Everglades National Park website, the largest alligator ever recorded in Florida was 17 feet 5 inches long (5.3 meters). The largest alligator ever recorded measured 19 feet 2 inches (5.8 meters) and was found on Marsh Island, Louisiana.[1] Few of the giant specimens were weighed, but the larger ones could have exceeded a ton in weight.

and

Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae). The term can also be used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e. the true crocodiles, the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae) and the gharials (family Gavialidae). The crocodiles, colloquially called crocs, are large aquatic reptiles that live throughout the Tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Crocodiles tend to congregate in freshwater habitats like rivers and lakes and wetlands and sometimes in brackish water. Some species, notably the Saltwater Crocodile of Australia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands often lives along the coastal areas as its name implies. It is also known to venture far out to sea. They mostly feed on a wide variety of vertebrates like fish, reptiles, and mammals, sometimes with invertebrates like mollusks and crustaceans, depending on species. They are an ancient lineage, and are believed to have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs.

You could get more information from the 2 links below...

Answer 2

Alligators have a limited range of distribution, the US and the Yantze River of China, Crocodiles have a world wide distribution. There are about twenty-five species of crocodilians. Crocodiles including the Gharials of India and the False Gavial of Indonesia have narrow snouts whereas the alligators have broad snouts. More diagnostic is that the fourth tooth of the lower jaw of crocodiles is prominent and protrudes upward where as alligators have the fourth tooth turned downwards. Coloration is not an indicator as with the various races of Caimans, crocodiles and alligators it varies from location to location. Alligators tend to be smaller as adults (usually under 12 feet) but the Salt Water Crocodile can almost double this. The largest in captivity is in Bangkok and is about 1,500 pounds and reported to be over 16 feet.

Answer 3

Alligators are native to North America (southern states like Florida); Crocs are native to South America, Africa, Australia. While there are some crocs in captivity here in the States in zoos and reptile centers.

Answer 4

alligator - wide mouth, teeth hidden by "lips"
croc - long narrow snout, teeth exposed.
There are also differences as far as habitat and all. Go to wikipedia.org and type each one in to get more detail.

Answer 5

Along with the above answer - Aliigators are more of a grennish color and Crocs are a brownish grey

Answer 6

crocs have long snouts and grow larger then gators

Answer 7

The difference is there mouth

Answer 8

Size and construstion as well (as in their snouts)

Answer 9

size