Everglades National Park is the only ecosystem in the world where alligators and crocodiles live side by side. A video shared last week shows the two species in a small clash presumably near the Shark Valley visitor center.
Christopher Gillette (@gatorboys_chris), a wildlife biologist and conservationist, provided commentary on the video, which was filmed by Taylor Bonachea. He said, “You can see that the gator (American alligator) actually looks pretty bewildered . . . and the croc (American crocodile) is determined to get that alligator out of the area.” But why might that be? Gillette’s guess: “I would assume that it’s due to nesting or maybe just territory. Usually they do get along pretty well.”
While the video ends as the animals are walking towards the bushes, Bonachea told Storyful, “The alligator goes into the water and leaves the immediate vicinity in defeat, and the croc gets her nice sunny spot to bask in the sun.”
How to tell the difference
Alligators and crocodiles belong to the same family, but there are some key differences that can help you identify which species you’re seeing.
The key attributes to look for are color and snout shape. Crocodiles are a lighter color, almost grayish-green, and they have a tapered, triangular snout. Alligators, on the other hand, are dark colored with broad, rounded snouts.
Crocodile vs. Alligator
The Everglades ecosystem in Florida marks the southernmost range of American alligators and the northernmost range of American crocodiles. The mixture of freshwater from Lake Okeechobee and saltwater from the ocean provides suitable habitat for both reptiles.
While alligators prefer freshwater and crocodiles prefer saltwater, that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of visiting other bodies of water. This overlap rarely causes issues, though, as the creatures are solitary in nature. Alligators are more numerous in the park and seen more often than American crocodiles, which are rarely spotted because of their reclusive nature.
Although both of these species are at the top of the food chain, both are protected by the Endangered Species Act. This is largely due to predation by humans, degraded water quality and habitat loss. Additionally, in the natural ecosystem it’s common for hatchlings to fall prey to raccoons, birds and crabs.
“Human conflicts with alligators are rare and generally not serious, but incidents do occur and have been reported,” according to the park’s webpage on alligators. Most alligator attacks are attributed to illegal wildlife feeding or provoking.
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