Photo Gallery: Alligators and Crocodiles

Close-Up of an American Alligator

Photograph by Bates Littlehales

Alligators' heads are shorter and wider than crocodiles'. Although heavy and slow on land, they can ambush their prey from the water by lunging at speeds of 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour.

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Close-up of a Nile Crocodile

Photograph by Chris Johns

Nile crocodiles are the largest crocodilians in Africa, sometimes reaching 20 feet (6 meters) long.

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American Alligator Basking on a Riverbank

Photograph by Anne Keiser

Saved from the brink of extinction, the American alligator now thrives in its native habitat: the swamps and wetlands of the southeastern United States.

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American Crocodile Emerging From the Water

Photograph by Gianfranco Lanzetti

Critically endangered, the prehistoric-looking American crocodile struggles to survive in pockets of shrinking habitat.

Saltwater Crocodile

Photograph by Sam Abell

The largest crocodilians on Earth, saltwater crocs, or "salties," are excellent swimmers and have often been spotted far out at sea.

Gator on a Log

Photograph courtesy Dick Bailey/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

American alligators are found in freshwater coastal wetlands across the southeastern United States, from Louisiana to the Carolinas.

Young Nile Crocodile in Shallow Water

Photograph by Michael Nichols

Mother Nile crocodiles lay their eggs in a buried nest, opening it when high-pitched squeaks are heard from within. The sex of baby crocs is dependent upon the temperature of the nest rather than genetics.