Alligators vs. Crocodiles: Photos Reveal Who's Who

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Bigger in Texas

Texas alligator

(Image credit: Dennis Demcheck , U.S. Geological Survey)

Chinese alligator

Chinese alligator

(Image credit: Liuqf | Dreamstime.com)

Chinese alligator, called Alligator sinensis, in the Yangtze River.

Dwarf Crocodiles Split into 3 Species

(Image credit: Mitchell J. Eaton, AMNH)

The dwarf crocodile O. tetraspis eats a captures a land crab at Loango National Park, Gabon.

Ancient Cat-Size Croc Had Armored Tail

(Image credit: Mark Witton, University of Portsmouth.)

The ancient crocodile relative Pakasuchus kapilimai likely snagged insects and small mammals for food. (Shown here in an artist's rendering.)

Cuban crocodile

Cuban crocodile

(Image credit: Stave Zack/Wildlife Conservation Society.)

Among crocodilians, Crocodylus rhombifer (shown here) is one of the world’s most endangered species with the smallest natural distribution. In Cuba, the species coexists with the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus).

Global Warming Could Doom Male Crocodiles

(Image credit: Oscar Baldomero)

Nile crocodiles are among the fiercest predators in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, yet their population has shrunk due to habitat loss and hunting. Dr. Alison Leslie of University of Stellenbosch suggests that climate change will be a further setback to crocodile numbers.

Live Science Staff
Live Science Staff
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