#BonusWildlifePost – #Crocodile vs #Alligator

/ Marcia

Just wanted to show you folks a couple of photos my friend, Dennis, shared with me yesterday. I’ve mentioned that he’s a terrific photographer, and I wasn’t kidding. He’s been taking pictures of wildlife ( and much more) for many years. After reading my post on Alligators yesterday, he sent me two shots of the American saltwater crocodile that he took down in south Florida, and I think they are two of the best pics of them I’ve ever seen–so my first thought was to do a bonus post so I could share them with you.

You can VERY clearly see the lighter color of this crocodile, and the extremely pointed “V” that makes up his head. I also found a comparison photo of a swimming alligator that shows once again that 1) it is very nearly black in color and 2) the head is definitely not pointy at all.

American Saltwater Crocodile
(Photo by Dennis Burnette)

American Alligator for Comparison
(Photo from Pexels)

Head Shot of American Salt Water Crocodile
(Photo by Dennis Burnette)

Hope you enjoyed the comparison and that it will help you remember that alligators and crocodiles are not the same critters! 

Next time, we’ll be back to alligators with …
“Bringing Up Baby!”
See you then!

42 thoughts on “#BonusWildlifePost – #Crocodile vs #Alligator”

    • Meeting them from a distance is kinda fun, Beth. I see no need to get “up close and personal” with them, though. I just give them MY toothiest smile and keep on going. 😁Thanks for stopping by to check out these photos. I don’t usually do a “bonus post” like this one, but they were too good not to share. Have a great day! 😀 ❤

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    • Glad you enjoyed the photos, Priscilla, and I’m sure Dennis is very brave in his outdoor quest for super photographs. I’m also reasonably sure he has a good telephoto lens, and that can be a great help … especially when taking pictures of tiny birds in leafy trees, or giant reptiles with pointy teeth. 😂😂😂

      Thanks so much for stopping by this morning, and I hope you have a great weekend coming up! 😀 ❤

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    • That’s great to know, Gwen, and glad you enjoyed seeing these pics. If I’d gotten them earlier, I would have used them in my original post, but … better late than never, right? (I made that up, you know. 😂😂😂) I’m really looking forward to having Dennis share some wildlife posts with us, too, when he can. He knows his stuff, and if he shares some of his photos, it will be fabulous!

      Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend, and I’m wishing you a peaceful, happy weekend. 🤗❤️🤗

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    • Whew. I’m glad you said that, Staci. I was really gonna be concerned about you if you found anything cute about this croc. Now, I don’t dislike them in their place, mind you, but cute would have been a bit too much. 😁Thanks for stopping by today, Staci, and I hope you’ll enjoy the nature posts we’ll be sharing with you. 😀 ❤

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    • I hope you saw the full post on Wednesday, too, Bill? Lots of good info there. You know … just in case they show up in your neck of the woods. 😁

      I’m glad you enjoyed these pics and thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a great weekend! 😀

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    • And just imagine, Nancy … there are 23 species of crocodilians, so lots more types of crocs, and caimans, and gharials. But only TWO alligators! 😁

      I agree with you on the photos Dennis shared (notice how I avoided trying to make “Dennis” possessive??? 😂) He’s very knowledgeable and a super photographer, so I’m really looking forward to having him visit here when he can.

      Thanks for stopping by today, and Happy Weekend!! 😀 ❤

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  10. I’ve only seen saltwater crocodiles in Australia. I didn’t even know they existed in the US/Florida. Is that a difference between alligators and crocodiles as well, that one’s habitat is in fresh water and one in salt, or are there saltwater alligators and freshwater crocodiles as well?

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    • Good questions, Liesbet, so here goes:

      As listed in the Partial Species list on Wednesday’s Wildlife post, there are 23 species of crocodilians, 14 of which are crocodiles, and only 2 of which are alligators: The American alligator and the Chinese alligator.

      Alligators are only native to the Southeastern U.S. or China, while there are various types of crocodiles in many more locales. Australia is famous for their saltwater crocodiles, as you know, but the American crocodile (which is limited to the southern tip of Florida) is a saltwater species, too, while our alligators always prefer fresh water.

      Having said all of that, every once in a while, an alligator is spotted swimming at the beach, and it isn’t always clear why. It’s believed that they are en route from one fresh water lake or river to another, as they don’t hang around in the ocean very long. Just yesterday, a large one made the news for being spotted swimming in the surf right off the coast of Alabama. (That would be the Gulf of Mexico).

      Likewise, saltwater crocodiles might on occasion be spotted in brackish (part salt, part fresh) water or even in completely fresh water. Again, it would usually be considered a temporary thing, and not where saltwater crocodiles reside.

      Now, just to confuse you even more, out of those 14 species of crocodile, there are ALSO some species which actually prefer fresh water, like the rivers in South America or, more famously, the Nile crocodile of Africa.

      To sum this confusing mess up:
      Some species of crocodiles prefer saltwater, and some species prefer fresh water, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they never visit the other types. BOTH Alligators species prefer fresh water, but the American alligator will show up for a brief swim in the surf now and then. (I don’t know if that’s true of the Chinese alligator or not.)

      Hope this helps, rather than adding to your confusion.

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      • Thanks for the detailed info, Marcia. So I think it’s safe to say that alligators live in fresh water and crocodiles can be found in both.

        What confuses me is that I swear I saw alligators in Gatun Lake (Panama), but based on your info they’re not found in that part of the world, so maybe these were freshwater crocodiles. I’d have to look it up…

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          • I just re-read my off the cuff hurried response to your question, Liesbet, and it’s a wonder you were able to condense it down to anything that made sense. Sorry!

            Yes, crocodiles can be saltwater or fresh, depending on the species, and they are much wider-spread than alligators. Alligators live in fresh water areas, but might be spotted in the surf on rare occasions, traveling from Point A to Point B.

            Glad you were able to answer your question about Gatun Lake, and I promise next time you have a question, I’ll take my time to break the answer down into something concise, yet complete for you, instead of typing away like a mad woman, and making it more confusing than it needed to be.

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    • I thought they were super photos, too, Denise. It’s very clearly NOT an alligator, and makes a great way to show that to folks who aren’t used to either gators OR crocs.

      Thanks for stopping by, and hope you have a great weekend to look forward to!
      😀 ❤

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    • You’re welcome, Jan! As soon as I saw them, I knew I needed to pass them on. They do the best job EVER of showing how different an American saltwater crocodile looks from the American alligator. Glad you thought so, too! 😀 ❤

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    • Glad you liked them, Yvette. I think they are the best yet for showing how different the American saltwater crocodile looks in comparison to the American alligator. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know you enjoyed them. 😀 ❤

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    • Ha! I tried being a northerner once, Mike. It didn’t take. So I shall remain a southerner, but one who does NOT swim in any body of water that isn’t enclosed in turquoise concrete, as I always say. (And even THOSE, I check out pretty thoroughly before diving in.)

      Now canoeing with gators is something I love, and I would probably canoe with the crocodiles in south Florida, too, if I ever got down there again. But no swimming, dangling of fingers or toes over the side of the craft, or having picnics on any riverbanks. 😮Nope. Not gonna happen. 😉

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