8/6/2019 Diff Between Crocodile and Alligtor (Shanku)

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Turtles live aquatic lives, but there are varieties that live in freshwater and other that live in salt water. With the exception of the marine leatherback turtle allturtles have hard shells which are considered among the most typical of thecharacteristics. They are adapted to aquatic life. They lack toes and have paddle-like feet that enable them to swim at speeds of approximately twenty miles per hour. Nearly all varieties of aquatic turtles are considered endangered at this

time. The largest have been measured weighing as much as eleven hundredpounds.

Tortoises are adapted for living on land. They have large boxlike shells thatextend upward further than the aquatic turtle’s more streamlined shape. Theyalso have toes, though their toes are reduced compared to the pronouncedfingers of other animals. Turtles in general have long lives, but tortoises haveextraordinary life spans compared to humans. There have been instances of tortoises living as long as one hundred and fifty years. They have been recordedwith she lls larger than four feet.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES

The two are often confused, but visually crocs and alligators are quite different.Alligators have a very broad, wide snout, and crocodiles have a narrower snoutand jaw. Also crocodiles often have a lower tooth that juts out noticeably, whilean alligator's fourth tooth is hidden.

WHERE THEY LIVE

Crocodilians are a cold-blooded species, and require an average temperature of approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit to survive. This being the case, they arefound on warmer continents that have swampy or humid conditions for at leastpart of the season.

The American alligator lives almost exclusively in the lower southeast regions of North America, from the Carolinas to Texas. The caiman, a smaller species of crocodiles, populate a large section of southern Mexico, Central and SouthAmerica. The Chinese alligator lives in the lower Yangtze valley in China. The

American crocodile is scattered throughout the Everglades and Florida Keys, andin Mexico and Central America. The African Nile crocodile is one of the mostnotorious, often growing as large as 16 to 20 feet in length. Southeast Asia hasthe Indo-Pacific crocodile, which lives in Indonesia, to the Philippines, andAustralia.

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8/6/2019 Diff Between Crocodile and Alligtor (Shanku)

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APPEARANCE & TRAITS

All crocodilians have webbed feet, which are a defined mark to their life in water.

They also have very tough, or armored skin, which is actually an overlapped set

of scales. These scales help to protect the salt-water croc and alligators from theharsh salinity of the sea. The eyes and nostrils are set up high on the head andsnout to allow it to keep its main body submerged while still being able to breatheand view their surroundings with ease. Crocodiles have a vertical pupil thatallows them to hunt effectively at night.

Crocodilians have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Their jaws areenormously powerful, but only on the downward bite, which give the croc thatinfamous “snap,” like a spring-loaded hinge. Their teeth continue to grow their entire life. If they lose or break one off, another will soon grow to replace it. Theyalso “shed” their teeth periodically, whether or not there’s been damage.

Their broad, heavily muscled tail assists them in swimming smoothly and quickly.

Even though they have short legs, they can move surprisingly fast on dry land.Alligators and crocodiles can live up to fifty years of age on average. Likesnakes, crocodilians lay eggs. Some species build nests of debris and earth,

while others excavate holes for their offspring. All species lay their eggs onland, near water but well above the water line. The eggs hatch anywhere fromtwo to three months after being layed. Although the mother may lay as may as

fifty eggs, few of the baby crocodilian will survive to adult hood. They are preyfor many other animals, from birds to fish.