So, the first difference is that alligators and crocodiles are actually in different families. In addition, like nearly all other reptiles, they lay eggs and their skin is covered with hard, dry scales. Crocodiles were first seen by greek travelers exploring egypt. Reptiles are covered with scales, shields, or plates, and their toes have claws. There are differences between alligators and crocodiles as well. Many folks find it difficult to distinguish between an alligator and a crocodile, so im writing the facts as a public service to assist those who may be confused. This book captures the fascination and joy these huge reptiles have always held for me. Crocodile books are fantastic for kids who are interested in learning more about reptiles and how the crocodile lives. Another difference between alligators and crocodiles is that crocs have salt glands on their. Im staying right here at my desk looking at our collection of books about alligators and crocodiles. Alligators and crocodiles are fascinating for most children.
They first appeared 95 million years ago in the late cretaceous period cenomanian stage and are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the archosauria. This classic alphabet book features a family of alligators doing the things youd expect alligators to do. Crocodiles and alligators rookie readabout science. In the case of alligators, the lower teeth are typically not visible when the mouth is shut. For alligators, the upper jaw is wider than the lower one, so when they close their mouths, all their teeth are hidden. The majority of the book describes similarities between alligators and crocodiles. Apr 08, 2020 how to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Let us know if there are any more differences you spotted yourself. Jul 22, 2015 there are a lot more picture books about alligators and crocodiles than you might expect. This book is excellent for teaching your kids the difference between alligators and crocodiles. More seriously, while there are a number of different alligator and crocodile species, crocodiles usually have narrower, pointier snouts than alligators. I have loved alligators and crocodiles for as long as i can rememeber. Crocodilians have up to 80 teeth in their mouth at one time.
Alligators and crocodiles are commonly confused with one another, and the words are often used interchangeably. I was embarrassed when i was asked this at a class i attended with my 18 year old. Childrens fiction animals alligators crocodiles books alibris. These alligator and crocodile themed story books are super fun are popular books to read with kids both at home and in the preschool setting. Alligators are freshwater animals, while crocodiles live in saltwater. Difference between crocodile and alligator alligator vs crocodile duration. They live in fresh and brackish water, but prefer fresh. Hopefully, now it will be easy for you to tell the difference between crocodile vs alligator. The three families are members of class reptilia and order crocodilia.
October pete, an alligator who thinks that he is a flamingo, worries when he begins to notice the differences between him and his flamingo friends. What are the differences between gharials, crocodiles, and. How to tell the difference between a crocodile and an. Alligators are found in fresh water whereas crocodiles live in both fresh and salt water. There are total 28 numbers of species are existinig today of the crocodilians. Coming face to face with a crocodile or an alligator, youd see a mouth full.
And if youre daring enough, take a gander at their chompers. Difference between crocodiles and alligators difference wiki. The introductory chapter describes crocodilian anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and behaviour. It is applicable to both farmed and captive animals. If youve found yourself on an everglades excursion and in the situation where you cant tell if the animal in front of you is an alligator or a crocodile, here are a few tips to help you differentiate the two. This book was written by gail gibbons, who is a wellknown childrens author. Alligators and caimans have a wide ushaped, rounded snout like a shovel, whereas crocodiles tend to have longer and more. Whats the difference between alligators and crocodiles.
Now you can go wild with the wild kratts every wednesday with a brand new video on the official. The crocodiles snout is pointed and vshaped, and the alligators is wide and ushaped. Crocodiles and alligators also differ in the shape of their snout. Crocodile have a longer narrower snout top and bottom jaw are nearly the same width so teeth on the top and bottom are visible along the whole jaw line. On the other hand, crocodiles have much narrower and longer jaws, and the upper and lower jaws are approximately the same length.
There are a handful of differences between alligators and crocodiles especially in appearance, and once you know these differences youll be able to easily differentiate the two. While there are plenty of differences between alligators and crocodiles, there are also a lot of similarities. South florida is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles live alongside each other. One of the most distinguishing features is their snouts. Purchased this book for my 5year old daughters 5th bday to go along with her crocodile theme party. Another difference between alligators and crocodiles that can easily be noticed is the slight difference in their color.
Learn about the differences between crocodiles and alligators its a series of kids picture books 1 ebook. The main difference between crocodiles and alligators is that they belong to different scientific families, crocodylidae, and alligatoridae respectively. The most telltale difference between alligators and crocodiles is the jaw. Alligators were first seen by spanish soldier exploring north america. The easiest way of telling apart crocodiles from alligators, however, is to look at their noses. Not sure of the difference between gators and crocs. Most consumers cannot tell the difference between crocodile leather, alligator leather, and caiman leather when it comes to purchasing highend luxury items. Alligators and crocodiles by gail gibbons 2010 description. Alligators you can only see the top teeth when its mouth is closed as opposed to all a crocodiles teeth. How can you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. You are very likely to run into these reptiles during your everglades airboat tour, and you may be wondering what the difference is between the two. Another difference between crocodiles and alligators is their habitat. Those of alligators are wider and shorter, and crocodiles top.
So how do you tell the difference between crocodiles and alligators. Crocodiles are found near swamps, lakes and rivers in the tropical areas of africa, australia, asia, madagascar, and south america. Can you tell the difference between the two creatures. One ways is to look at how their teeth sit when their mouth is shut. While alligators appear dark in complexion, crocodiles are usually a lighter brown, green, or gray. As a child, i drove my parents crazy with requests for our family to move to miami where i could be near the alligators.
Jul 03, 2017 as a general rule, the toothier the crocodilian, the more likely it is a crocodile. The most obvious way to tell a crocodile, left, from an alligator, is from their snouts. Crocodilian biology database faq whats the difference. The above points are amongst the most obvious differences between crocodiles and alligators in terms of external appearance. Alligators can be differentiated from true crocodiles by the form of their jaw and teeth. Alligators and crocodiles are the worlds largest reptiles and the closest living relatives of dinosaurs. The crocodiles slimmer snouts are flexible for fishhunting while the alligators are wider, giving them greater power to crush their food prey. If you cannot differentiate between an alligator and a crocodile, you are not alone. There are three different families of crocodilians. Join awardwinning science writer seymour simon in this picture book introduction to some of the worlds fiercest reptiles. The best alligator and crocodile books for kids living.
Aug 07, 2001 crocodiles and alligators may seem ferocious and scary, but renowned science author seymour simon confirms that they. Alligators have a wide, broad nose but a crocodile will usually have a narrow nose. What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. Alligatoridae alligators, crocodylidae crocodiles, and gavialidae gharial. Other things to look for include head shape and skin color. The book begins by playing on our fear of alligators and crocodiles, describing one of these giant reptiles gliding through the water, slowly appearing above the surface. The first difference between a crocodile and an alligator is that they are from different families of crocodilians. What is the difference between an aligator and a crocodile. Crocodile, alligator, and caiman leather which is better. However you will find alligators as well as some other wildlife if you take a guided swamp tour through the bayou.
Reptiles include alligators, crocodiles, turtles, and snakes. Interview with alligator differences between alligators and crocodiles crocodilians thats the family name of both alligators and crocodiles. So, what are the differences between caimans, alligators, and crocodiles. Around since the time of dinosaurs, crocodiles and alligators eat without chewing, have three eyelids, and provide good living conditions for other animals. Many people are unaware that theres a difference between alligators and crocodiles and use both terms interchangeably to describe any large waterdwelling lizard with big teeth. I thought this was important for you to know before your child asks you or hisher teacher. Whats the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. The alligators have a snout that is ushaped while crocodiles have a narrow and vshaped snout. I adore books, so i want to share some of my and zoeys favorite alligator and crocodile books for kids. Crocodiles are from the crocodylidae family and the alligators and caiman are from the alligatoridae family. Difference between caiman, alligator, and crocodile.
One difference between the two is the structure of their outer skin. How do you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Although they look similar, there are a few key physical. The differences between alligators and crocodiles experts123. The teeth of a crocodile are visible, even when the crocodiles mouth is closed, while alligator teeth are invisible until the mouth is open. When an alligator closes its mouth, you tend to see only its upper teeth. In alligators its broad and ushaped, while in crocodiles its narrow and vshaped. Crocodiles and alligators compare and contrast third grade.
Alligators are more hostile as compared to crocodiles, which is against the usual. Youll learn about how alligators are shockingly spoiled, how they never nap, and that they love bursting balloons. When their mouths are closed, you can see some of the crocodiles lower teeth, but not the alligators. In crocodiles, however, some teeth in the bottom jaw appear, most notably the large fourth tooth. They both have scaly skin, huge teeth, and powerful jaws. Unlike alligators, crocodile snouts are long, narrow, and pointed or vshaped.
Crocodiles tend to have vshaped faces, while alligators sport shorter, ushaped snouts. The 8 main differences between alligators and crocodiles. Today we are sharing a list of fantastic crocodile and alligator childrens books. Jul 01, 2019 crocodiles and alligators are the biggest reptilians on the planet. Alligators have broad, oval jaws that are not so long, with a noticeable overbite as the upper jaw extends visibly over the lower jaw. Childrens books about alligators and crocodiles sommer reading.
Do you know the difference between alligators and crocodi. Whats the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. What better way to introduce the letter a or the cr consonant blend to your preschoolers than with some alligator and crocodile books and rhymes. You can tell the difference by looking at their teeth. Crocodiles have a longer, more vshaped head than alligators. These identification clues and many more can all be found in whats the difference.
And last but not least, research rabbit hole of the day is the difference between crocodiles and alligators because i can never tell the difference. What happens in storytime storytime crocodiles and alligators to ill. There have been many books with 1,000s of pages dedicated to showing the difference between the two similar, but totally different, species, but this book does more in 20 short pages then many treatises on the subject. One of the main differences between alligators and crocodiles is their color. However, there are a few sections that describe differences. Which reptile is only found in the southern us and china. All of them are terrific introductions to alligators and crocodiles for kids between the ages of 6 and 9. Alligators all around and not a crocodile to be found.
Alligators and crocodiles by gail gibbons goodreads. Alligators and crocodiles share plenty of similarities, but there are actually key differences between them. Many of the differences between the two center on their heads and mouths. Crocodiles tend to live in saltwater habitats, while alligators. Jul 03, 2018 how to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Alligators possess a broad ushaped snout and have an overbite. How to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Crocodiles on the other hand flash a toothy grin with their top and bottom teeth interlacing. Alligators are darker in color, nearly black with a ushaped snout.
A book about alligators and crocodiles by melvin a. The fourth tooth of a crocodile sticks out when they close their mouth. The teeth of a crocodile are visible, even when the crocodile s mouth is closed, while alligator teeth are invisible until the mouth is open. Well, thats our post on the differences between crocodiles vs alligators, and we hope you found it useful, informative, and easy to understand. In this extremely interesting nonfiction picture book, gibbons compares the two reptiles by giving facts about boththeir physical differences, what they eat, where they.
However, each species is unique, and to list all the possible differences would be like comparing a jaguar with a lion. Crocodile and alligator childrens books craft play learn. Interview with alligator differences between alligators. Listen to this article about crocodiles and alligators and explore the concept of compare and contrast. These differences are most obvious when you study their skulls. Difference between alligator and crocodile alligator vs. Whereas, crocodiles are a light tan or olive green in color with a vshaped snout that is longer and narrow in front. In terms of physical differences the easiest way to tell the difference between the two is that a crocodile has a very long, narrow, vshaped snout, while the alligators snout is wider and ushaped. Do you know the difference between alligators and crocodiles. Alligator, either of two crocodilians related to the tropical american caimans. One of the ways is to look at how their teeth sit when their mouth is shut. Crocodiles and alligators are large, frightfullooking reptiles.
Which reptile is found in many parts of the world, including africa, australia, and america. Shop childrens fiction animals alligators crocodiles books at alibris. If you have a child interested in learning more, i would recommend a trip to the museum of science or checking out one of these titles. Crocodilia or crocodylia is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, known as crocodilians. Alligators are only found in parts of the us and china, whereas crocodiles can be found across the world. The florida everglades is famous for many things, one of them being the only environment on earth in which american alligators and american crocodiles coexist in harmony. Difference between alligators and crocodiles compare the. For example, we learn differences in their habitats, bodies, and nests. Sep 15, 2012 whats the difference between alligators and crocodiles. Crocodiles in the wild are found all over the world, but alligators found in the us and in china. They evolved down very similar lines from the same ancestor but took a different path somewhere which is why there are little differences. Differences between crocodiles, gharials, and alligators. Learn about the differences between crocodiles and alligators its a series of kids picture books 1 free expedited delivery and up to 30% off rrp on select textbooks shipped and sold by amazon au. Most people confuse the alligators and crocodiles, as they are both huge, scaly lizards of prey.
Its not that hard to tell an american alligator from a crocodile if you know what to look for. I like this book because it is really funny and creative. There are distinct differences between alligators and crocodiles. Difference between crocodile and alligator youtube. Todays book of the day is the parent agency by david baddiel. In this article, well explain the main difference between alligator and crocodile species, as well as where you can find them.
Crocodiles hunt larger prey, such as sharks and large mammals such as buffaloes, apes, and even humans. A newly discovered difference between alligators and. What is the difference between alligators and crocodiles. Researchers believe that the animals share a common ancestral.
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