Alligators and crocodiles are not the same, although they are both reptiles. When an alligator’s mouth is closed, you cannot see any of its teeth. You can see a crocodile’s teeth. An alligator’s snout is shorter, wider and rounder than a crocodile’s.

There are two different kinds of alligators. One kind lives in the United States, mainly in Louisiana and Florida, but also in states from the southeast to the lower Rio Grande. The other kind lives along the Yangtze River in China.

The Chinese alligator is smaller than those found in the United States, where the adult males are as long as 14 feet and weigh more than 750 pounds. Females are usually no more than eight feet long and weigh about 400 pounds.

Alligator hunting is a once in a lifetime hunting experience and alligator hunting in Florida is the experience of a lifetime. Alligator hunting in Texas has also become very popular as the alligator populations in the state have mushroomed. The alligators are hunted on both public and private waters and the hunting styles kind of depends on what the hunter's wishes are at the time of the hunt. There are hunts that take place during the day in which the hunter uses a rifle to shoot the alligator from the shoreline. Night hunts take place in air-boats or flat-bottoms using bow and arrows or harpoons. There are alligator hunting outfitters in Florida that advertise averaging 11 feet on their trophy gators. A trophy gator is considered anything over 9 feet. Most of Florida's outfitters almost guarantee that a hunter will see several hundred alligators in one night, unless the weather gets ugly. So whether hunting alligator in Florida, Texas, Alabama or any other southern state, be ready for an adrenaline rush of the nth degree. Bring your camo clothing and be prepared for a fun filled ride in an air-boat and a heart busting alligator hunt that will surely rank right up there on your list of most fun hunting adventures.