If you don’t want crocs in your back yard watch for gators.

Mangrove estuaries are home to the rare American crocodile. While there are only two living species of alligators, there are over a dozen species of crocodiles found around the world.

Adult crocodiles can live in salt water, new hatchlings and young crocodiles actually need brackish water — a mixture of salt and fresh water. As sea level rises, it makes the water of the coastal zone saltier. Young crocodiles don’t grow as large in salt water, which results in higher mortality.

Crocodiles and alligators are very similar in appearance, but, upon closer inspection, some very subtle physical differences can be detected. The most obvious difference is in the shape of the snout — alligators tend to have wider and rounder snouts, while the snout of a crocodile is longer, leaner, and more pointed.

The Florida Everglades is the only environment on earth in which American Alligators and American Crocodiles coexist in harmony.

You’re very likely to run into these reptiles during an Everglades airboat tour, and you may be wondering what the difference is between the two. While they are related and do look similar, crocodiles and alligators in the Everglades have some major differences.