Imagine. It’s 1995, and you’re sitting in a boat on the Corobici River. Gorgeous trees surround you on either side. There’s a nice breeze blowing the fresh scent of the water to your nose. You take it all in, and then, you look down and see none other than a huge alligator! Your eyes get big as you nervously look to your guide, asking about the alligator, who laughs, “this is an American Crocodile– not an alligator.”

The American Crocodile is just one of the many unique wildlife species to be found while exploring Costa Rica on a Luxury Safari. If you have a favorite Costa Rican creature, please let us know what it is in the comments below!

Both the American Alligator and the American Crocodile are crocodilians– the name given to the family that includes the world’s largest reptiles. While all crocodilians share certain characteristics, the easiest way to identify one from another is the shape of their snouts. Alligators have a wider and rounded snout, while crocodiles have a narrower, more pointed snout. While some members of the crocodile family are known to be aggressive, the American Crocodile tends to be a shy creature.