Picture this: You're vacationing in Florida, perhaps on a walk near a river or a lake. Suddenly, you turn around to find a scary reptile lurking close behind. Is it an alligator or a crocodile? And does it matter?
Seeing as crocodiles have the strongest bite of any animal in the world, you could say it kind of matters. They're super fast, strong and have extra sharp teeth. An alligator's jaw, on the other hand, could be held shut by a person because their jaw is rather weak (their teeth are still sharp AF though, so if you screw up trying to pin it, good luck). It isn't easy to recognize a croc from a gator, so here are a few tips in case you get an unfortunate surprise. Either way, we say run. Run like the wind.
Alligators have short and wide heads, like a U. Usually, they're darker in color and live in freshwater. They're found only in the southeastern part of the United States (Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi etc.) and in China. Fun fact about the ancient reptile: Alligator eggs become male or female based on temperature, warmer temperatures produce males and cooler temperatures produce females. Weird, right?
Crocodiles, as previously mentioned, are faster and stronger than alligators. Their head is longer and narrower, like a V, and its fourth tooth always sticks out when its mouth is closed. Like gators, crocs can be found in the U.S., but also in Africa, Asia, and Australia. They usually live in freshwater, but some can tolerate salt water habitats.
The artists featured in the gallery below did a stellar job at getting the traits right for each cold-blooded creature. Think you'll be able recognize the right reptile in the tattoos?
*Side note: The good ol' U.S. is the only place in the world in which alligators and crocodiles live together.