A large aquatic reptile that resembles a giant lizard. There are two alligator species in the world—a large type found in the Southern United States and a small type found in East China. Alligators differ from crocodiles in several ways. They have broader, blunter snouts, giving their heads a triangular appearance. Also, an alligator's lower fourth tooth does not protrude when its mouth is closed, as it does with a crocodile.

The latest news involves a Massachusetts woman catching a 900 pound alligator in South Carolina. Mary Ellen Mara-Christian caught the alligator with a fishing pole and fought for two hours before pulling the giant gator to her boat in Lake Moultrie this week.