ALLIGATOR VS CROCODILE – Who would win a fight?

What’s the DifferenceBetween Alligators and Crocodiles?Many people are unaware that there’s a differencebetween alligators and crocodilesand use both terms interchangeably to describeany large water-dwelling lizard with big teeth. What they don’t realize is that,despite some similarities,the two reptiles don’t look or behave the same. They also belong to different biological familiesDifferences in Physical characteristicsAlligators have a wide “U”-shaped,rounded snout like a shovel,whereas crocodiles tend to have longerand more pointed “V”-shaped noses. In alligators, the upper jaw is wider than the lower jawand completely overlaps it. Therefore, the teeth in the lower jaware almost completely hidden when the mouth closes,fitting neatly into small depressionsor sockets in the upper jaw. This is called an “overbite”. However, in crocodiles, the upper jaw and lower jaware approximately the same width,and so teeth in the lower jawfit along the marginof the upper jaw when the mouth is closed. Therefore, the upper teeth interlockwith the lower teeth when the mouth shuts. Crocodiles have a jagged fringeon their hind legs and feet; alligators do not. Alligator have webbed feet; crocodiles do not. The American alligator is the larger of the two speciesof alligator and typically ranges from 6-12 feetbut can grow up to 19 feet. The Chinese alligator is smaller,typically about 5 ft with a maximum length of about 7 ft. Crocodiles are the largest and heaviestof present-day reptiles. The Nile crocodile of Africaand the estuarine crocodile of Australiaare the largest species;they can grow up to 20 feet in lengthand weigh over 1,000 kg. Differences in behaviorDifferences in behavior are also apparent. Most people regard crocodilesas more aggressive than alligators,and this is true of some species. When cleaning alligator pools,some zookeepers can tread on alligatorswithout eliciting a response,though crocodiles almost invariably react aggressively. HabitatAlligators prefer freshwaterwhile crocodiles can better tolerate brackish waterbecause they have functioning salt glandson their tongue. This allows crocodiles to easily filter out salt. While alligators also have these structures,they appear to have lost the ability to use themfor excreting significant amounts of saltand hence preferring to stay in freshwater areas. Today, crocodiles are found in the tropical habitatsof Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas. They normally live near lakes, rivers, wetlandsand even some saltwater regions. One of the largest known populationsof American crocodiles is found inthe Dominican Republic’s at a large saltwater lake calledLago Enriquillo. On the other side alligatorsare found in America and China. If an alligator fought a crocodile,which animal would win?Here I will let you choose!I tend to bet on the powerand aggressiveness of the crocodile!

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