14th March 2016

How is an alligator different from a crocodile?

A crocodile has a ‘V’ shaped snout, whereas an alligator has a ‘U’ shaped snout. When a crocodile closes its mouth, the fourth tooth in the lower jaw sticks up outside the top jaw. However, there is a well-defined constriction in the upper jaw behind the nostrils to accommodate it. When an alligator does the same thing, the tooth is hidden. This is because, in the alligator, the upper jaw is longer than the lower jaw.

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8th February 2016

Tooth regeneration in crocodiles

Crocodiles have 24 sharp teeth on each jaw, which are meant to grasp and crush, not  to  chew.  The  teeth are continuously replaced during a crocodile’s lifetime. Each tooth is hollow, and a new tooth grows inside the old one in order to be ready once the old tooth is lost. Young crocodiles can replace their teeth at a rate of one new tooth per socket each month.

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