Alligators and crocodiles are snapping, semiaquatic reptiles in the order Crocodilia, famous for their ferocious bites. If you want to know how alligators and crocodiles are different and what to do if you're face-to-face with an alligator, or if you just want to enjoy wild stories about cannibal alligators and the mystery of an extinct horned crocodile, our expert writers and editors have you covered with the latest news, features and articles about alligators and crocodiles.
Discover more about alligators and crocodiles
—How are alligators and crocodiles different?
—Crocodile quiz: Test your knowledge on the prehistoric predators
Latest about Alligators & Crocodiles
Gharial: The prehistoric crocodilian that buzzes and blows bubbles to find a mate
This critically endangered animal, known for its long, thin snout with a bulbous growth at the end, split off from other crocodilian species 40 million years ago.
Crocodile quiz: Test your knowledge on the prehistoric predators
The Nile crocodile is one of the largest predators in Africa.
Scientists to read Cassius the giant crocodile's bones to find out exactly how old he was when he died
When Cassius — the world's largest captive crocodile — died in Australia, his keepers thought he could be over 120 years old. Now, a necropsy could reveal his true age.
Cassius, the world's biggest captive crocodile, may have been over 120 years old when he died
Cassius, the world's largest captive crocodile, has died in Australia. The saltwater croc may have been over 120 years old — but no-one knows his true age for sure.
Crocodile 'fingerprints' may reveal Australia's deadly, hidden predators
Crocodile attacks in Australia have risen since conservation measures helped their numbers skyrocket. Now, scientists are harnessing their environmental DNA to find these predators before they strike.
'If you can bench press a car, you are good to go': Inside the incredible bite-force of crocodiles
In this extract from "Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans," Bill Schutt looks at the creatures with the strongest bite forces in the world.
Alligators survive cold snap by becoming 'frozen solid' in North Carolina and Texas ponds
When temperatures drop below freezing, alligators can enter a state of torpor known as brumation, as the water around them solidifies and suspends them in a giant, pond-shaped ice cube.
'Eyes coming straight for me': Huge crocodile launches itself into boat with jaws wide open in strange attack
Queensland authorities are on the lookout for a crocodile reported to have leapt into a fisher's boat at Jane Creek before losing its balance and tumbling back into the water.
Pinky-white leucistic alligator with blue eyes born in Florida is 1 of only 8 in the world
An extremely rare leucistic alligator born in Gatorland, Orlando, is the result of a genetic condition that leads to the partial loss of skin pigmentation, resulting in white or translucent skin.
Last-known crocodile in Europe lived in Spain 4.5 million years ago, researchers say
A tooth unearthed in Spain and dating to the Pliocene is the latest evidence of a crocodile ever found in Europe and supports the idea crocs crossed over from Africa about 6.2 million years ago.
