Methodology

How CrocodileVsAlligator.com verifies sources, ranks data, sets refresh cadence, and handles corrections. The primary-source pattern, verification framework, scope, limitations, and contact details.

Wildlife emergency? For nuisance alligators in Florida call the FWC SNAP hotline on (866) FWC-GATOR / (866) 392-4286. For any life-threatening encounter call 911 (US) or the relevant national emergency service. This site is a reference, not a live response service.

Primary sources

Every numerical figure, species claim, and conservation-status assertion on the site traces back to a named primary source. The table below lists the authorities used, what the site takes from each, and the cadence at which each is reviewed.

Source	Cadence	What we take from it
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species	On annual republish	The IUCN Red List is the primary source for conservation status on every species page. Each species profile cites the current IUCN listing: American alligator (Least Concern, conservation success), American crocodile (Vulnerable), saltwater crocodile (Least Concern), Nile crocodile (Least Concern), gharial (Critically Endangered), Chinese alligator (Critically Endangered), with caiman species listed per their current individual assessment. Where IUCN status revises, the site updates within the next monthly review.
IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group	On revision	The Crocodile Specialist Group within IUCN's Species Survival Commission is the authoritative source for crocodilian-specific conservation framing. The site references the CSG for population estimate ranges, captive-breeding programme status (e.g. for the gharial recovery in the Chambal River), and the bridging context between IUCN listings and on-the-ground conservation reality.
Erickson et al. 2012, PLOS ONE	Fixed reference	Erickson, G.M., Gignac, P.M., Steppan, S.J., Lappin, A.K., Vliet, K.A., Brueggen, J.D., Inouye, B.D., Kledzik, D., Webb, G.J.W. (2012). Insights into the Ecology and Evolutionary Success of Crocodilians Revealed Through Bite-Force and Tooth-Pressure Experimentation. PLOS ONE 7(3): e31781. This is the single source for every bite-force figure on the site, measured across the full set of living crocodilians using a custom bite transducer. Figures are reported in pound-force (lbf) and newtons.
CrocAttack Worldwide Crocodilian Attack Database, "2015 - 2024 Attack Statistics"	Monitored quarterly	The Worldwide Crocodilian Attack Database, originally established at Charles Darwin University as CrocBITE and now maintained by Brandon Sideleau at crocattack.org, is the primary source for crocodilian attack and fatality data worldwide. The site works from one specific page of it, the 2015 to 2024 attack statistics, which publishes attacks and fatal attacks per country with the responsible species named for each. Per-species figures on /danger-ranking (saltwater crocodile 1,243 recorded deaths, Nile crocodile 820, mugger 286, American alligator 16) are our additions of those country rows, since the database publishes no per-species or worldwide totals. They are counts of recorded incidents over that decade, not estimates of the true toll.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance	On revision	San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance publishes vetted species fact sheets on every major crocodilian. The site cross-references SDZWA for life-history data (lifespan ranges, clutch size, growth rate) and behavioural framing. Where SDZWA framing differs from a peer-reviewed source, the site mirrors the peer-reviewed source and notes any material divergence.
Smithsonian National Zoo	On revision	The Smithsonian National Zoo's animal-facts pages are cross-referenced for behavioural and ecological context, particularly for the gharial recovery programme and American alligator population framing. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute publications are also consulted where they cover specific population studies.
Australia Zoo	On revision	Australia Zoo is referenced for saltwater crocodile context in the Indo-Pacific range, particularly population recovery in northern Australia following the 1971 hunting ban. The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in the Cape York Peninsula publishes annual research updates on the Wenlock River population, which the site cites in context.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission	On revision	FWC is the primary source for American alligator US-population framing (approximately 1.3 million alligators in Florida alone, approximately 5 million across the southeastern United States), the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) and the (866) FWC-GATOR hotline referenced in the /about and /where-to-see-alligators safety guidance, and the American-alligator-and-American-crocodile coexistence range in south Florida.
US Fish and Wildlife Service	On revision	USFWS is the federal authority on the American alligator's conservation history (removed from the federal endangered list in 1987, treated as a conservation success), the American crocodile's Endangered Species Act listing as Threatened in Florida (downlisted from Endangered in 2007), and federal regulations around crocodilian-leather trade and import.
National Geographic	On revision	National Geographic species pages and feature articles are cross-referenced for ecological framing, particularly for Nile crocodile behaviour at the Mara River wildebeest crossings and saltwater crocodile salt-gland physiology. The site cites NatGeo as a comparator authority; clinical numerical data (bite force, fatality counts, lengths) traces to the peer-reviewed primary source where possible.
Britannica	On revision	Britannica is cited for taxonomic and etymological framing (the Crocodylia order, family Alligatoridae vs Crocodylidae vs Gavialidae divergence in the late Cretaceous), and for cross-checking standard species accounts. Where Britannica framing differs from a peer-reviewed source, the site mirrors the peer-reviewed source.
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)	On revision	WCS publishes long-term field studies on crocodilian populations across South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. The site cites WCS for population framing in remote regions and for the in-situ conservation work on the gharial and Chinese alligator.
Peer-reviewed herpetology journals	Monitored quarterly	Journal of Herpetology (American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists), Journal of Zoology (Zoological Society of London), and Copeia / Ichthyology & Herpetology (ASIH) are monitored quarterly for new measurement studies, taxonomic revisions, and population assessments. Where a new peer-reviewed measurement supersedes an existing site figure, the affected page is updated and the LAST_VERIFIED_DATE rolled forward.
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain photography)	On revision	All photographs on the site are Public Domain images sourced from Wikimedia Commons, with attribution to the photographer and licence noted under each image. Specifically: Steve Hillebrand (US Fish and Wildlife Service, Public Domain) for the American alligator hero image; Tomas Castelazo (CC BY-SA 2.5) for the American crocodile hero image. No copyrighted or rights-managed imagery is used.

In scope

◆Species comparison between Alligatoridae (alligators and caimans), Crocodylidae (true crocodiles), and Gavialidae (gharials), with the seven measurable differences on the home page and field-test ID logic on /identification.
◆Per-species conservation status from the current IUCN Red List assessment, with population estimates where the underlying data is published (e.g. approximately 5 million American alligators per USFWS / FWC; approximately 650 wild gharials per Crocodile Specialist Group).
◆Bite-force figures in pound-force (lbf) and newtons sourced exclusively from Erickson et al. 2012 PLOS ONE, ranked highest to lowest across measured species. No extrapolation beyond measured species.
◆Per-species human-fatality counts read off the per-country rows published in the CrocAttack "2015 - 2024 Attack Statistics", presented as recorded counts over that decade rather than as estimates of the true toll, with the database's own regional reporting-completeness caveats stated alongside.
◆North American crocodilian range, population, and management framing from Florida FWC and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
◆Travel and wildlife-viewing context: identifying ethical viewing locations (national parks, state wildlife management areas, accredited tour operators) and giving the safety guidance the site can responsibly provide.
◆Etymology, taxonomy, and natural history cross-referenced against Britannica, Smithsonian National Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and National Geographic, with peer-reviewed herpetology literature as the tie-breaker where authorities differ.

Out of scope

×Live attack alerts, real-time animal tracking, or any service that would require operational on-the-ground intelligence. The site is a reference, not a live wildlife information service.
×Veterinary care advice or captive husbandry guidance for crocodilians kept in private or institutional collections.
×Captive-breeding husbandry guidance. Where the site discusses captive-breeding programmes (e.g. the Madras Crocodile Bank for gharial), it cites the institution rather than providing operational guidance.
×Extinct-taxon depth. The site mentions the late-Cretaceous divergence of Alligatoridae and Crocodylidae for context but does not cover extinct gavialids, mekosuchines, or pre-Cretaceous archosaurs in depth.
×Taxonomic revision proposals. Where current taxonomy is contested (e.g. the Tomistoma / false gharial family placement, with current molecular evidence favouring Gavialidae but morphological tradition favouring Crocodylidae), the site notes the disagreement and follows the most recent consensus revision.
×Tour booking, real-time availability, or guarantee of wild sightings. The /where-to-see pages identify locations and operators; they are not bookings.

Verification framework

Field identification (4-factor)

Field ID uses snout shape (V-shape narrow for crocodile, U-shape broad for alligator), dentition (interlocking lower fourth tooth visible for crocodile, only upper teeth visible for alligator with mouth closed), habitat (saltwater tolerance for crocodile via functional lingual salt glands, freshwater confinement for alligator), and geographic range (American alligator confined to SE USA and China; American crocodile in south Florida, Central America, Caribbean; Nile crocodile sub-Saharan Africa; saltwater crocodile Indo-Pacific). Where a single cue is ambiguous (e.g. juveniles, dim light), the four-factor combination resolves correctly.

Bite-force figures (Erickson 2012 only)

Every newton and lbf figure on /bite-force traces to Erickson et al. 2012 PLOS ONE, Table 1. The study measured bite force in newtons using a custom transducer across the full set of living crocodilians; the site reports the maximum recorded value per species (the upper bound of the tabulated range) with a rounded pound-force conversion. Because Erickson showed bite force scales tightly with body mass, each figure reflects the largest individual of that species the team tested, not the species ceiling: the page states this explicitly and flags species sampled at small body size (notably the Nile crocodile). The site does not extrapolate species-level estimates beyond the published figures.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List only)

Every conservation-status assertion (Least Concern, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered) traces to the current IUCN Red List listing. Where local management (e.g. USFWS) classifies a species differently from the IUCN listing (e.g. American crocodile is IUCN Vulnerable globally but USFWS Threatened in Florida specifically), the site reports both and explains the divergence. Where IUCN re-assesses a species, the site updates within the next monthly review.

Danger ranking (CrocAttack recorded counts, 2015-2024)

Per-species fatality figures on /danger-ranking are counts of recorded incidents over 2015 to 2024, added up from the per-country rows the CrocAttack Worldwide Crocodilian Attack Database publishes with the responsible species named. CrocAttack does not publish per-species or worldwide totals, so those sums are ours, and the page says so and links the inputs. The framing makes explicit that under-reporting (particularly in rural sub-Saharan Africa, which the database itself calls largely incomplete) means actual fatalities exceed the recorded counts, that the completeness gap between regions is uneven enough that the order between the top two species is not settled, and that any single-year figure is a snapshot not a trend. The site does not predict future attack rates or recommend behaviour beyond the safety guidance available from FWC, the relevant national wildlife authority, or accredited tour operators.

Refresh cadence

The IUCN Red List is checked on annual republish (typically late autumn for that calendar year's reassessments) and at the next monthly review cycle. Erickson 2012 PLOS ONE bite-force figures are fixed; no revisions expected. CrocBITE Worldwide Crocodilian Attack Database is monitored quarterly for newly aggregated regional data. Florida FWC and US Fish and Wildlife Service pages are reviewed on US-specific updates (e.g. SNAP programme changes, downlisting decisions). National Geographic, Britannica, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and Smithsonian National Zoo are reviewed when their species pages republish.

The verification date is held in a single constant (LAST_VERIFIED_DATE in src/lib/schema.ts) imported by every page. Footer text, schema dateModified, and visible review timestamps all read from that single source so cosmetic refreshes are not possible without a content review. The current verified label reads October 2026.

Out-of-cycle refresh triggers: an IUCN status revision; a new peer-reviewed bite-force or population study in Journal of Herpetology, Journal of Zoology, or Copeia / Ichthyology & Herpetology; a recorded population shift in a CSG newsletter; a FWC or USFWS rule change; a flagged correction submitted via the corrections process.

Limitations

!Bite-force figures are the maximum recorded for the individuals Erickson 2012 was able to test, and bite force scales tightly with body mass. The animals sampled were not always at the top of their species size range (the two Nile crocodiles, for example, averaged about 86 kg against a species maximum near 750 kg), so the per-species ranking partly reflects the size of the animals tested rather than the species alone. The figures represent maximum measured bite force, not typical predatory force, and not the largest possible individual of each species.
!CrocAttack fatality counts vary by reporting completeness, and not evenly. The database rates United States and Australian records as close to comprehensive, Asian reporting as generally much better than African, and African records as largely incomplete with only Namibia and South Africa believed to capture most incidents. The site works from the 2015 to 2024 decade because that is the window the database publishes per-country, species-attributed statistics for. Every count on the site is therefore a floor, and a species whose range falls in a poorly recorded region will sit lower in the ranking than its real toll warrants.
!IUCN Red List assessment lags real-time population shifts. Where a species is undergoing rapid population change (e.g. the gharial decline through the 2000s, or American alligator recovery), the current IUCN status reflects the most recent formal assessment, not the live population.
!Species range descriptions on the site are simplified for editorial use. The actual range of each species is patchy and varies seasonally; the site identifies the principal regions but does not claim complete distribution mapping.
!Taxonomy and etymology are occasionally revised. Where the consensus shifts (e.g. the Tomistoma family placement), the site reflects the most recent peer-reviewed revision and notes the historical context.

Corrections process

We correct factual errors promptly when identified. To submit a correction, email Digital Signet with the specific URL, the disputed claim, and the primary source you want the claim verified against. We aim to respond within 5 business days with either a correction (where the source supports the dispute) or an explanation (where the existing wording is correct).

Where a correction changes the substance of a factual claim, we note the change and the date on the affected page. The site LAST_VERIFIED_DATE is rolled forward only when a substantive review against the cited primary sources has occurred, not for cosmetic edits.

Do not email about a wildlife emergency

If you are dealing with a nuisance alligator in Florida call the FWC Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) on (866) FWC-GATOR / (866) 392-4286. For any other wildlife emergency call your local emergency services (911 in the US) or the relevant state or national wildlife authority. This site is a reference and does not provide live response or triage.