American crocodiles are moderate sized crocodiles, although some individuals can grow longer than 4 long. There are unconfirmed reports of individuals 7 m long. Males tend to be larger than females. Adults have an olive-brown coloration, whereas younger crocodiles are lighter tan color.  They have a narrow head and a long snout (which distinguishes them from alligators). Their sharp, jagged teeth interlock with each other. They have 28 to 32 teeth in their lower jaw and 30 to 40 in the upper jaw. They also have a protective eyelid that allows them to see underwater and the design of their iris gives them good night vision. American crocodiles are distinctive from other crocodile species in their reduced amount of scaly armor. Their tail is extremely long and powerful, and is used for swimming.

Range mass: 907.2 (high) kg.

Average mass: 220-450 kg.

Range length: 7 (high) m.

Average length: 3.5 m.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger