Alligators and Crocodiles | Gift Guide

Alligators and crocodiles are reptiles - scaly and even scary-looking - yet people continue to be attracted to these creatures and children love them in 'toy' form. The popularity of these reptiles is evidenced by the numerous tourist attractions filled with these Big Lizards!

These are two different, yet similar, animals that live in tropical areas of the world, even co-existing together in the Florida Everglades. They don't 'pal around', but they do manage to share the same swamps in this one place.

Let's have a look at a few fun facts of each, then see what form these alligators and crocodiles take as interesting gifts. And I'm not talking Alligator Purses or Crocodile Pumps here. No alligators or crocodiles were harmed in the telling of this story!

The song was written by Louisiana songwriter Robert Charles Guidry and made popular by this Bill Haley recording. It popularized a catchphrase already in use in the 1950s. Since I'm a '50s girl, I remember it well.

• American alligators have an average weight of 800 pounds and are about 13 feet long.

  There is a record of an alligator at a zoo that lived to be 75 years old.

• Crocodiles can be found in a variety of sizes, from the dwarf crocodile, which grows to be about 3 to 5 feet long, to the saltwater crocodile which can reach more than 15 feet long and weigh well over 2,600 lbs..

  There is a crocodile at the Australia Zoo in Queensland that is estimated to be 130 years old.

Handmade in Wood

This Wooden Alligator on wheels is the creation of Ooh Look It's a Rabbit on Etsy.

Dozens of darling wooden toys are hand-crafted by Susan from Wentzville, Missouri and featured in her Etsy shop she calls Ooh Look, It's a Rabbit!.

• There are only two kinds of Alligators - The American Alligator, native to and found throughout the southeastern United States, with more than one million alligators each in the states of Florida and Louisiana.

  The Chinese Alligator is found only along the Yangtze River and is so endangered (with only a few dozen believed to be left in the wild) that far more Chinese alligators are found in zoos.

• Crocodiles live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side.

• Check out CROCODILIANS: Natural History & Conservation for information on all 23 species of crocodiles.

This Crayon Holder is in the shape of an Alligator. It's a handmade woodcraft painted with non-toxic craft acrylics in an "alligator green", sprayed with an acrylic clear coat and sanded smooth.

Alligator holds 24 crayons (22 across his back and 2 in his mouth). He's 16 inches long and 4 inches tall. The alligator is just one of a variety of wooden crayon holders, push toys, wooden puzzles and whimsical wood décor created by Donald and LaShaye Overman of Salisbury, NC. Their wooden wonders are on display in their Etsy shop Southern Made Signs and Designs.

The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida.

Our family are big fans of the Florida Gators. Our son attended Graduate School there and his son now thinks he'd like to attend UF. :)

• The name alligator comes from el lagarto, the Spanish term for "lizard" and was named by the early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida.

• Crocodile comes from the Ancient Greek word crocodilos, which means "lizard".

How cute. This delightful stuffed crocheted plush crocodile toy is the clever creation of Lea from Strasbourg, Alsace, France.

Lea calls her Etsy Shop Cute Creations by Lea. It is filled with her cute art, handmade stationery, knits and patterns.

A Beach in Australia Does!

The larger crocodiles of the world can be very dangerous to humans because they are very fast on both land and in the water and can strike before you can get out of the way. Their land-speed is up to 11 mph (over a short distance), so best not to get too close!

Pictured here is a caution sign at Trinity Beach in Queensland, Australia warning bathers that 'crocodiles may be present in these waters'. I think that would discourage me from a day at THIS beach! :)

The alligator's snout is wider and U-shaped. (Left)

A crocodile has a very long, narrow, V-shaped snout. (Right)

• Alligators with its wide snout, have more crushing power and can eat prey like turtles, along with fish and small mammals.

• Crocodiles eat fish, birds, mammals and occasionally smaller crocodiles.