Alligator

Alligator is a genus of crocodilians containing two living species, the American alligator and the Chinese alligator, in the family Alligatoridae. The American alligator, found in the southeastern United States, typically reaches about 4 meters and occasionally exceeds 4.4 meters, while the smaller Chinese alligator of eastern China rarely exceeds 2.1 meters. Alligators are distinguished from crocodiles by their wider, shovel-like, U-shaped snouts and by lower teeth that fit into sockets in the upper jaw, leaving only the upper teeth visible when the mouth is closed.