number5:
More often than not, I’ve seen people getting mixed up between crocodiles and alligators. While they both belong to the Crocodilia order, they are members of two quite separate taxonomic families. Besides, alligators DO NOT live in Africa!

The following highlights the major differences between the two species.

Overview

– You can’t see an alligator’s teeth when its mouth is closed; its lower teeth fit snugly into pits in the upper jaw. In contrast, a crocodile’s lower teeth are always visible.

– Alligators have a broad snout, while crocodiles have a thinner snout.

– Alligators tend to be grayish black in color, whereas crocodiles have a olive green or brown appearance.

– Alligators can only be found in the southeastern United States and in some parts of China. Crocodiles can be found all over the world


A more contrasting mix up found especially here on nairaland is the mix up between monitor lizards and alligators, especially owing to the fact that one of our most loved admin here loves his reptilian fantasies

As already stated, alligators are not found in Africa, so my beloved nlanders, anything you kill that looks like a big lizard , is a monitor lizard and not an alligator, and anything you kill that looks like a crocodile is actually a crocidile and not an alligator .

Read more below:

http://www.livescience.com/32144-whats-the-difference-between-alligators-and-crocodiles.html

Also check out some pictures below

greenmonk:

I don't need research to know what I experience everyday. Woe betide any person in the Niger Delta who mistakes a croc for an alligator, he won't live to regret his mistake. What ur research says is same as telling us that mongu park discovered the river Niger. Our ancestors where already here when mongu park came. Google is written by the white man and no credit is given to Africa in most of their research. Monitor lizards are just like a bigger version of the lizard while the crocs and alligators are similar aside their snorts, The crocs grow bigger and longer in full maturity, so any one who confuses one for the other will regret his mistake.

greenmonk:


Are you really sure alligators are not found in Africa or that someone made you believe that. In my local language we have names for crocodile, alligator and monitor lizard so how did the names come about if there is no alligator in Africa.
in my LGA alligators are caught every week and are common site in local markets.

somehow:
There are Alligators in Edo state and no they are not monitor lizards, even their claws is enough to know the difference + the snake like tongue of theirs.

If you doubt this, take a walk to Uselu market and see alligators for yourself.

iamoyindamola:
stop deceiving yourself.... alligator and crocodile are the same.
crocodiles are found in Africa while alligators are in America,posting same species while one opening its mouth is delusional

ZACHIE:
This alligator pepper some of you grew up has confused you with Alligator lizards.

Gators are not found in Africa. Crocs are. Komodo dragons are not indigenous to Africa too.

Stop chewing garbage.

Grabbeast:
Op what of Iguana?

number5:


iguana is a smaller lizard, with very beautiful colour orientation..


its kind of looks scary also

Heavance:


seriously, this is educative as I am a lover of animals. But no one is talking about Cayman/Caiman as most Nigerians will call them Crocodile if they come across one, Infact it is really difficult for a Nigerian to differentiate between Croc, Alligator and Cayman, we call them all Crocodile.

number5:



excellent and spot on..

caiman (not cayman) is another member of the great lizard family that is more often confused with the crocodile and an alligator.

caimans have their own distinct features and are seen as a boarderline between crocs and alligators.

somehow:
There are Alligators in Edo state and no they are not monitor lizards, even their claws is enough to know the difference + the snake like tongue of theirs.

If you doubt this, take a walk to Uselu market and see alligators for yourself.

Dexema:

Alligators don't have snake-like tongues and are not found in Nigeria. Lastly, alligators have U-shaped mouth while Crocs have V-shaped mouth.

number5:



my broda and friend..the one with snake like tounge is a monitor lizard.

alligator has no such feature

number5:

somehow:


Try to understand my post. i was telling you what made monitor lizard different from alligator. monitor lizards come with serpent like tongue with ugly looking claws.

Bahddo:
Chai... Some Nigerians are just unteachable. See them arguing alligators can be found in their markets when they don't even know the difference between a monitor lizard and a gator much less a croc and a gator. All those satellite dish everywhere, na only football and Africa Magic una dey use am watch?

somehow:


Compared to monitor lizard i guess?

number5:


I understand u now..

but still dosnt change d fact that alligators aint nowhere near nigeria

somehow:
Visit uselu market. I am a lover of nature and watch a lot of NATO wild too. I know the difference between croc and gator. Enough gator in Benin..seen with my eyes when I visited. Plenty not even one.

Dexema:

Alligators don't have snake-like tongues and are not found in Nigeria. Lastly, alligators have U-shaped mouth while Crocs have V-shaped mouth.

oz4real83:
U are very wrong with some of your post. Alligators are very common worldwide. I live in Benin city. Infact alligators are very common in many markets in Benin city. The sellers will bind their mouths with carved stakes and twines,with their hands and legs tied behind. I have never seen crocodiles live in d markets except killed and dried ones. I have also seen alligators in many other states in Nigeria. Please confirm these facts. Even ur 5th pic is neither a crocodile,alligator nor a monitor. It is a komodo dragon and it is found in only one place in d world.

ifyElendu:
who said Aligators are not found in Nigeria,that wrong

number5:


well..i'll let u stick to ur conviction..but my position in this matter stands sure...

untill the day I see one, there arnt any alligators in Africa.

somehow:
It won't come and meet you where you are, just go there and see.

I guess oyinbo man also said there isnt a mungo park until one came to see it, then started claiming he discovered it like those who lived there aren't humans. More than 8 people on this thread alone told you there are alligators in Edo state, yet you're doubting, why not go there to find out or is it because we are not white? Until a white man tells you we have coal, you wouldn't have believed? Africans!.

oz4real83:
if i am not too busy this weekend,i will visit uwa market and take some shots of alligators and upload it here. It is very unfortunate that some of us believe the whiteman's impression of us than what we really are. If a whiteman calls blacks savages and puts it ''online'',some people will believe it to be true as long as it is ''online''. It makes me wonder if it wasnt somebody who put it online. The facts still remains that there are alligators in Nigeria,whether google says so or not!!!

oz4real83:
if i am not too busy this weekend,i will visit uwa market and take some shots of alligators and upload it here. It is very unfortunate that some of us believe the whiteman's impression of us than what we really are. If a whiteman calls blacks savages and puts it ''online'',some people will believe it to be true as long as it is ''online''. It makes me wonder if it wasnt somebody who put it online. The facts still remains that there are alligators in Nigeria,whether google says so or not!!!

somehow:
It won't come and meet you where you are, just go there and see.

I guess oyinbo man also said there isnt a mungo park until one came to see it, then started claiming he discovered it like those who lived there aren't humans. More than 8 people on this thread alone told you there are alligators in Edo state, yet you're doubting, why not go there to find out or is it because we are not white? Until a white man tells you we have coal, you wouldn't have believed? Africans!.

number5:



Bruv...


We still waiting for you to wow us with your alligator pictures.

number5:



Forget the mungo park theory...dnt want to start a new argument here....


Am still waiting for all your alligator pictures...


And uhmm, pls makesure its not from google ok..lol