See you later alligator. In a while crocodile

The American alligator and the American crocodile both inhabit the waters of Florida, and this is the only area in the entire world that they are able to coexist, but while they are in the same family, they are totally different creatures. The American alligator ranges from fresh water lakes and swamps in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and of course Florida, while American crocodiles only live in the warm, salty coastal waters of South Florida. Due to its wide range, the alligator obviously has much larger numbers than the crocodile. Hunting of American alligators is very popular in states such as Louisiana and Texas. Fortunately, it is highly regulated by the states through the implementation of a set quota using kill tags. Unfortunately, the American crocodile has much lower numbers than the alligator due to its restricted habitat range.

There are a few key characteristics that set American alligators and crocodiles apart from each other. Firstly, as mentioned before, alligators can only live in fresh water, while crocodiles can  live in either fresh or salt water. Secondly, American alligators have a dark gray coloration, and crocodiles have a general greenish-brown coloration with black spots sparsely covering their bodies. Thirdly, alligators have a much more short, rounded snout, almost like a shovel, while American crocodiles have a much more elongated, and narrow snout. Furthermore, when alligators sit with their mouths closed, no teeth are visibly protruding out. American crocodiles however, show their lower back teeth while their mouths are closed. Lastly, crocodiles are much more aggressive than alligators, and will attack even if unprovoked.

Yesterday, on the first day of the trip, we visited the Everglades, and were fortunate enough to be able to see five alligators including one little baby alligator. Today, we drove down into the Florida Keys, and we were still able to see an alligator on Key Largo, which is completely separate from the mainland of Florida. Unfortunately, we were not able to see any American crocodiles, which was expected due to the rarity of the species, and we have not really been looking for them in the right places. We have a large chance of seeing an American crocodile on Monday when we go kayaking in mangroves.

https://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/difference-gators-crocodiles/

https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/crocodile.htm