How does one tell the difference between alligators and crocodiles? They are closely related and very similar in appearance. If either of these reptiles happened to be chasing you, wouldn’t you want to know which one it was?
If at all possible, look at the snout, but try not to trip over anything while doing so. If the snout is wide and U-shaped, then an alligator is after you. If the snout is pointy and V-shaped, a crocodile wants you for his next meal.
If the snout is closed, making it almost impossible for you to see any of its sharp teeth that will tear you to shreds, it is an alligator. Their upper jaw is wider than their lower jaw, so when they close their mouth, their teeth tend to be hidden. When the crocodile’s snout is closed, it looks like they are giving you a toothy grin. The fourth tooth on each side of their lower jaw sticks out over their upper jaw.
There is an even easier way to know which one is after you though. Were you in saltwater or freshwater? If you took off running out of saltwater, well, this is where crocodiles live. If, on the other hand, you fled from a freshwater marsh or lake, this is where alligators choose to make their home.
What color is this reptile? Unless it is covered with mud or slime, a crocodile is usually a light tan or olive color. An alligator is usually a dark blackish gray, but if there is a lot of algae in the water in which the alligator lives, its skin could also have a greenish tinge to it.
A full-grown crocodile can be up to nineteen feet long. This is normally several feet longer than an adult alligator, which can be up to fourteen feet long. You probably don’t want to pull out a tape measure to find out how long the one after you is though.
But if it is a crocodile that is after you, your chances of getting away are better. Your normal crocodile can’t move as fast as an alligator whether it is on land or in the water. On the other hand though, crocodiles are way more aggressive than alligators.
And you’re more likely to be killed by an attacking dog, a bee sting, a wasp sting, a spider bite, a rattlesnake bite, a mountain lion, or a shark than you are of being killed by an alligator. Fatal attacks by alligators in the US are very rare. On average, only one person every three years is killed by an alligator. Of course, that isn’t much comfort for that one person.
Crocodile Tears
Knowing the difference between these reptiles is important, and so is spelling their names correctly. Look at alligator. It’s very easy to spell. All + i + gator. Simple. Put those syllables together and you have alligator.
Now for crocodile. The other day, I was reading the comments beneath a news article. One of these comments talked about people shedding crockadial tears. I had to go back and read it again. Yes, it said crockadial tears. I will give the one who made that misspelling a little credit: crockadial does sound the same as crocodile. But that spelling brings a totally different picture to mind: a crockpot with a dial on it? Spelling matters.
When one sheds crocodile tears, they are putting on an insincere show of sorrow.
Where did the phrase crocodile tears originate? One of my cats who has gone on to cat heaven, Smokey, would cry as he ate the prey he had killed. Smokey had no need to hunt and kill prey to eat; we made sure that he was well-fed and never had to go hungry. But hunting mice, birds, chipmunks, etc. obviously brought him joy.
Crocodiles do the same thing; they cry while they eat their prey. Are they sorry for the animal they killed? Are they sorry they caused it pain? Even though crocodiles have lachrymal glands that produce tears as humans do, the crocodile isn’t feeling any sorrow.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/07/crocodiles-really-do-shed-tears-when-they-eat/
Writing Prompt
This writing prompt doesn’t have much to do with crocodiles or alligators, but it does have to do with spelling.
Imagine living in a country where no one cares if words are spelled correctly or not. In this world, crockadial is a perfectly acceptable way to spell the name of the reptile. There has even been a law passed that says one can spell words as they see fit. Of course, no one can read this law because of the way the words in it are spelled.
This leads the teachers to go on strike and the students to forget about going to school. If spelling doesn’t matter, do any of the other subjects they were being forced to learn matter?
What happens to this country? Take us to this country five years after this spelling law has been passed. Ten years after. Has this country flourished? Or has this country not done so well. How are the people? Have they continued to learn? What about those who love to read? Do they still love to read? Do they still buy as many books? For that matter, are books still being written and published? And where did all the dictionaries go?
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