How do you tell? Or do you just have to be from the area to get a feel of it...?
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-crocodile.html
Is it an alligator or a crocodile?
All the
species of alligators, caimans, crocodiles, and gharial together are known as crocodilians. That is sometimes shortened to crocs and still refers to all the species as a group.
But many people want to know what the difference is between an alligator and a crocodile. If you really want to know for sure, you need to know the particular characteristics of each species. But don't worrythere are a few general ways to tell the two apart:
Shape of the jaw Alligators tend to have wide, U-shaped, rounded snouts, while crocodiles tend to have longer, more pointed, V-shaped snouts.
Teeth The fourth tooth on the lower jaw sticks up over the upper lip on crocodiles, so you can see it when their mouths are closed. In alligators, this fourth tooth is covered up.
Habitat Crocodiles also have special glands in their tongues that can get rid of excess salt, so they tend to live in saltwater
habitats. Alligators have these glands, too, but they don't work as well as the crocodiles', so alligators prefer to live in freshwater habitats.
With 23 species of crocodilians, though, these general rules don't always applythere are exceptions!
There's stories around here every once in a while of someone who was attacked, and half the time the neighbors were feeding the them.