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On our tours, people ask A LOT of questions about alligators, but the most common question by far is, “What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?”
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It is important to know that we will not see any crocodiles on our tour, only American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis).
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\The two reptile groups are closely related, so they do look physically similar, but there are some major differences one should know.
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Physically, you can differentiate them by the shape of their snout. The crocodiles have more of a V-shaped snout while alligators have a U-shaped snout.
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A crocodile’s top and bottom jaws are fairly equal, whereas an alligator has a bit of an “overbite” with the top jaw being slightly larger.
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Crocodiles have a pronounced fourth tooth in the lower jaw that lays on the outside of the top jaw when closed.
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Crocodiles also possess lingual salt glands (found on their tongues) that help excrete excess salt from their bodies.