They are sometimes referred to as "living fossils". They have the same appearance and life style as they did 200 million years ago. They have survived ice ages, climate changes, and the movement of continents. Now they only endure on the southern tip of Florida in North America. Only 500 survive there. Males in North America grow up to 15 feet in length. They feed at night on crabs, fish, birds, turtles, snakes, and small mammals. Adults can tolerate fresh water and salt water, but hatchlings can only tolerate fresh water. This is a problem because the Everglade's salinity level is increasing.
A lot of crocodiles are dying from mistaken identity. People are mistaking them for alligators and killing them sometimes. There are two ways to tell them apart. One is to compare their snouts. The crocodile has a long thin snout opposed to the alligator's shorter and wider snout. The second way to tell them apart is that on a crocodile's lower jaw, the fourth tooth from the front of the snout is visible while the alligator's is not.
Loss of Habitat: Causes and Solutions