🐊 American alligator vs Bull shark 🦈
The American alligator and the bull shark are about the same size. The American alligator weighs about 4 times as much as the bull shark.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐊 American alligator | 🦈 Bull shark |
|---|---|---|
| Size They are about the same size. | 8 to 11 ft2.4 to 3.4 m1 | 7.5 to 9.3 ft2.3 to 2.8 m2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The American alligator weighs about 4 times as much as the bull shark. | 1,000 lb454 kg3 | 209 to 245 lb95 to 111 kg2 |
| Lives The American alligator usually lives about one and a half times as long as the bull shark. | 50 years50 years1 | 32 years32 years2 |
| Eats The American alligator eats meat; the bull shark eats fish. | fish, turtles, frogs, snakes and birds | mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | swamps, marshes, rivers and lakes of the southeastern United States | warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes |
Which one? American alligator or bull shark
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the American alligator or the bull shark yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about American alligator vs Bull shark
- The American alligator: It digs pools in the swamp that help other animals in dry weather.
- The bull shark: A sturdy shark that can swim in salt water and in fresh water.
- They are different kinds of animal. The American alligator is a reptile, so it has scaly skin; the bull shark is a fish, so it breathes with gills.
- The American alligator and the bull shark are about the same size: 1 against 2.
- The American alligator weighs about 4 times as much as the bull shark. That is 3 for the American alligator and 2 for the bull shark.
- The American alligator usually lives about one and a half times as long as the bull shark. Usual lifespans: 1 for the American alligator and 2 for the bull shark.
- The American alligator eats fish, turtles, frogs, snakes and birds. The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs.
- The American alligator lives in swamps, marshes, rivers and lakes of the southeastern United States. The bull shark lives in warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The American alligator: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
- The bull shark: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 5
Wow facts
🐊 American alligator
- Baby alligators chirp from inside their eggs.
- The warmth of the nest decides if hatchlings are males or females.
- An alligator's snout is wide and rounded, like a U.
🦈 Bull shark
- A bull shark can swim in salt water and in fresh water.
- It is the only shark that can stay in fresh water for a long time.
- It eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays.
Questions kids ask about American alligator and Bull shark
Which is bigger, American alligator or bull shark?
The American alligator and the bull shark are about the same size: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, American alligator or bull shark?
The American alligator weighs about 4 times as much as the bull shark. That is 3 for the American alligator and 2 for the bull shark.
Which lives longer, American alligator or bull shark?
The American alligator usually lives about one and a half times as long as the bull shark. Usual lifespans: 1 for the American alligator and 2 for the bull shark.
What do American alligator and bull shark eat?
The American alligator eats fish, turtles, frogs, snakes and birds. The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs.
Where do American alligator and bull shark live?
The American alligator lives in swamps, marshes, rivers and lakes of the southeastern United States. The bull shark lives in warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do American alligators eat bull sharks?
The American alligator eats fish, turtles, frogs, snakes and birds. Bull sharks are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Do bull sharks eat American alligators?
The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs. American alligators are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Who would win, American alligator or bull shark?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They can share the same kind of place, and real animals mostly keep out of each other's way. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/american-alligator-vs-bull-shark
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Gulf Islands, checked 30 October 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Carcharhinus leucas (bull shark), checked 10 November 2026.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.