Alligators, Crocodiles and caiman may all look the same to some people but there are some distinct differences. This is the first of a series of articles pertaining to these differences.

There are two different sub species of Alligators:

Alligators are large predatory animals with their unique U shaped mouth which can differentiate them from crocodiles and other large reptiles. The tail of an Alligator can grow as long as its body. They are cold blooded an often bask in the sun after eating to regulate their body temperature. The alligator is also capable of short bursts of extreme energy. The two subspecies of Gators include:

The American Alligator is the larger of the two and can grow as long as 19 feet and up to 600 lbs. American Alligators live in Alabama, Arkansas, North & South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. They eat fish, turtle small mammals and occasionally larger mammals such as boars and deers. Females lay as many as 40 eggs at a time

The Chinese Alligator can grow as long as 6 feet long and is native to only the Northeast region of China. It is known regionally as the Yangtze Alligator. As of today there are only about 150 Chinese Alligators living in the wild. Unfortunately it is projected that all of the remaining Alligators will be gone in 15 years and with that the subspecies extinct. Even with protection under the Chinese government there numbers continue to drop rapidly