Crocodiles do not necessarily set out to hunt humans. They are clearly ferocious hunters, but they are opportunistic predators. Any animal that moves is fair game. They will even venture onto land to find prey.
Size Comparison. Not only do crocodiles beat alligators in the sheer power of their bites, they also do in size potential. The biggest verified saltwater crocodile specimen exceeded 2,000 pounds and length of more than 23 feet. The biggest verified American alligator specimen was approximately 1,000 pounds and 19 feet.
Typically, crocodiles are more aggressive than alligators, which makes crocodiles more dangerous than alligators. Alligators are opportunistic feeders, meaning that they're not likely to chase you down unless they're provoked.
The majority of crocodiles cannot be tamed. There HAVE been some individuals which have been tamed, but the normal personality for most crocodile species is high strung and aggressive. So don't count on it. American alligators, on the other hand, can usually be tamed.
American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) are a shy and reclusive species. They live in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean, and occur at the northern end of their range in south Florida. The American crocodile inhabits brackish or saltwater areas and can be found in ponds, coves, and creeks in mangrove swamps.
Alligators are aggressive, and they dominate the winding waterways of the Everglades. They feed off other animals in the 'glades and can detect even the slightest movement in the water. So, if you're wondering if it's safe to go swimming in the Everglades – the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT.
A crocodile known as Gustave lives in Lake Tanganyika, the second largest lake in Africa, and became famous for a very bad reason: he has a habit of attacking humans. Gustave weighs over a ton and is about six meters long, and he is capable of frightening even hunters.
They seek refuge before and during storms. Alligators will usually find a safe spot and spend most of their time under water in fresh water areas coming up for air occasionally.
Bobby Boucher : Mama says that alligators are ornery 'cause they got all them teeth but no toothbrush. Student : Alligators are aggressive because of an enlarged medulla oblongata. It's the sector of the brain which controls aggressive behavior.
Brien said aggression in saltwater crocodiles is “hardwired from hatching” but there is no clear explanation why the species is so short-tempered. One theory is that competition with other crocodiles, combined with its sheer size, has instilled the aggression.
Lock Jaw: Crocodiles are very fast over short distances, even out of water. They have extremely powerful jaws and sharp teeth for tearing flesh, but cannot open their mouth if it is held closed, hence there are stories of people escaping from the long-snouted Nile Crocodile by holding its jaws shut.
The Nile crocodile—four of which have been found in the state's swamps since 2000—are more dangerous than the native crocodiles and alligators, scientists say. The second largest living crocodilian, the Nile can reach 20 feet (six meters) in length and take down everything from hippos to humans.
Alligators are often less dangerous than crocodiles because they are more choosy about their prey. In contrast, alligator attacks are rare because they target prey animals that are smaller than adult humans. Their normal prey includes fish, birds, other reptiles and small mammals.
Very little—except humans—threatens an adult Nile crocodile, but its eggs are vulnerable to predators. Nile monitors, mongooses, and baboons are among the animals that eat them.
Far North Queensland has the World's Largest Crocodile in Captivity! Guinness World Records has today confirmed Cassius to be the biggest! Far North Queensland Crocs Rock! Cassius is 5.48 meters long and is living at Marineland Melanesia, Green Island, Far North Queensland.
Alligators appear in multiple places around the continental United States, but they're most predominantly known for living in Florida because of the Everglades and a large number of swamps. But gators don't stay confined to the swampy areas. They can be found roaming pretty much all over the state.
Member Highlight: Nile Crocodiles Identified In South Florida, Scientists Say. There may be a deadly new invasive species lurking in Florida's swamps. A team of scientists has identified three reptiles captured near Miami as Nile crocodiles, a species native to Africa.
While better armored than the bear, the crocodile has only one weapon: its jaws. Due to the massive bite force of the crocodile, a good bite to the bear would mean victory. That is to say, a good bite. The bear is faster on land than the crocodile is in water, although the crocodile has more agile neck muscles.
Gators generally do not attack humans for a number of reasons, but mainly because we are simply too large for gators to deal with. Since 1948, there have been 401 documented alligator bites in the Florida. Of that number, 23 have been fatal attacks. Florida is a prime habitat for alligators.
How long can a alligator live?
American alligator: 30 – 50 years
Alligators would prefer to avoid interactions with people altogether. Alligators don't overturn boats to capture prey. Some people paddling canoes and kayaks have overturned their boats when they scrapped the back of an alligator in shallow water, but that wasn't the fault of alligator.
Scientists have come up with a similar way to estimate the age of an alligator that has died. This process is called skeletochronology. Scientists look at the bones of dead alligators to examine their growth and to try to estimate their ages.
How fast is an alligator on land?
Lolong has hit the big time—at 20.24 feet (6.17 meters) long, the saltwater crocodile is officially the largest in captivity, the Guinness World Records announced recently.
All natural Florida lakes contain alligators and snakes. In addition, the majority of natural Florida lakes have dark or stained water limiting visibility. Swimming in a Florida lake is generally safe, but there definitely have been people attacked and killed by alligators in Florida.
In terms of total length, the largest living reptiles are the reticulated pythons (Python reticulatus) and saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), which may grow to more than 7 metres (23 feet) as adults.
Large fish, snapping turtles, bird of prey. Bobcats and panthers and black bears can certainly eat young ones.
Since Gustave has not been captured, his exact length and weight is unknown, but in 2002 it was stated that he could be "easily more than 18 feet (5.5 m)" long, and weigh more than 2,000 pounds (910 kg).
