How Do You Tell The Difference Between A Crocodile And A Alligator?

It’s all in the snout. As a general rule, alligators have shorter,
blunter, heavier heads than crocodiles, which have long, tapered snouts
lined with sharp teeth. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever venture close
enough to take a look, but a crocodile can also be distinguished by the
way its upper and lower teeth stick out past its closed jaws (a
closed-mouthed alligator is much less toothy-looking).

You’re much more likely to encounter an alligator than a crocodile. In
the U.S., the croc is an endangered species, numbering less than 1,000
individuals. By comparison, alligators are thriving, with over 1.5
million of these critters living in the swamps of the southeastern U.S.
(By the way, alligators are only found in North America and parts of
China; everywhere else, it’s all crocs and caimans).

Alligators prefer fresh water. Though you wouldn't ordinarily describe Okefenokee Swamp as “fresh,” it’s a low-sodium
paradise compared to the salty abodes of crocodiles (crocs can tolerate
these conditions because they have special glands in their mouths that
filter out excess salt). Some alligators can also tolerate a certain
amount of salinity, but prefer to stay in fresh water.

Crocodiles tend to be bigger (and more aggressive) than alligators. No
one would describe a swamp alligator as “gentle,” but it’s a positive
sweetheart compared to your typical Nile crocodile, which grows to a
larger size and is much more active in pursuing its prey. For
comparison’s sake, the biggest American alligators attain a length of
about 14 feet, snout to tail, while the largest crocodiles are a
whopping 20 feet long.

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The croc has a skinny sort of snout, with a kind of knob on the end, i guess.