Psst! Hey, Smarty Pants!
I'm meeting up with my old dinosaur -hunting buddy, Robert Maroon, for another adventure.
Today, we're in the wild, tracking an animal that's been around since the dinosaur.
See if you can guess what it is.
It's long and low to the ground, with short, stumpy legs.
It's got a huge mouth with a super -powerful jaw, filled with sharp, jagged teeth.
and they're equally at home on land and in the water.
Any guesses? Did you say the alligator?
Or perhaps you said crocodile, mate.
Either way, you're right.
If you remember our episode on dino relatives, we mentioned both alligators and crocodiles haven't changed much over the past 150 million years.
So, the crocodiles roaming around most of the southern United States look exactly like the crocodiles that the dinosaurs used to see.
Except it's the alligator that's roaming most of the southern U .S., not the crocodile.
Either way, what we're doing is very dangerous.
Alligators have been known to attack people.
So, if you see one of these green -skinned creatures slithering or swimming towards you, or even anywhere near you, It's best to stay away Actually, crocodiles are the green ones Well, more olive or tan Alligators are black or grey And crocs are more likely to attack Though you still don't want to mess
with a gator I'd stay away from both Look, there's one now One what?
An alligator or a crocodile?
Now's our chance Quick, follow me But you just said to stay away.
No time for chit -chat, mate.
This way. Oh no. The horror!
What's wrong? Is there a crocodile or alligator in this playground?
Run, kids, run! No, look right in the center.
It's a croc. You mean the crocodile sprinkler shooting water out of its mouth?
Yeah. We ran through the jungle to see a crocodile sprinkler.
Hey, it's a better way to point out what makes a crocodile a crocodile without getting eaten.
Uh, okay. But look, it's a croc.
You said that already.
No, I mean they got it all wrong.
Because it's wearing sunglasses?
No, look at the sign above it.
Yeah, it says one cool croc.
But it ain't a crocodile.
Look at its snout and teeth.
It's clearly a gator.
That's it. We're going to find some real alligators.
You mean crocodiles?
Those two. But first, let's get some ice cream.
It's a scorcher. Two vanilla cones, please.
You mind paying for it?
I left me wallet in the jeep.
Sure. Okay, Smarty Pants, while Maroon eats his ice cream, I've got three questions for you.
How can you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?
Where can you find each of them?
And why are these dangerous creatures so important to our world?
It's time for another whiff of science on...
Who's smarted? Who's smarted?
Who's smart? Is it you?
Is it me? Is it science?
Or history? Listen up, everyone!
We make smarting lots of fun!
On Who's Smarted? Hey, smarty parents.
I know the struggle of wanting to create the best future for the children in your life.
That's why I'm thrilled to share my experience with IXL Learning.
Recently, the 8 -year -old child of one of our main whosmarted writers started struggling with math.
They tried everything and felt helpless.
Then I told them about our partner, IXL, and it changed everything.
IXL is an online learning program that covers math, language arts, science, and social studies from pre -K to 12th grade.
What sets it apart is how it adapts to each child's needs.
His daughter loves the positive feedback and fun challenges.
And the best part? IXL's research -backed approach has made a world of difference in her confidence and her grades.
It's like having a personal tutor, but at a fraction of the cost.
A month of IXL costs less than one hour with a tutor, even before our Smarty family 20 % discount.
Don't let your child fall behind.
Join the millions of families benefiting from IXL.
Visit IXL .com slash smarted and get 20 % off your membership.
That's IXL .com slash smarted for 20 % off.
Give your child the gift of learning with IXL.
Hey, Smartypants. We're standing on a dock waiting for a ride to take us through the habitat of one of nature's most dangerous creatures, the crocodile, Alligida.
Hang on. Smartypants, are you thinking the same thing I am?
Aren't crocs and gators basically the same?
They're both huge reptiles with big jaws, lots of teeth.
They live on land and in water.
And they've been around since the dinos.
So why is it such a big deal what we call them?
All that may be true, mate, and a lot of people mix them up.
But the fact is, they're very different creatures.
And most times, they don't even live together.
Say you're in Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, or as far as eastern China.
and you say to me, see you later alligator, how should I respond?
Uh, in a while crocodile?
Nope, I'd say hoo -roo mate.
Hoo -roo mate? I don't think anyone says that in China.
No, but they shouldn't be saying anything about crocodiles either.
Well those states and China have heaps of alligators, there aren't any crocs there.
Now, say you're in Africa, Southeast Asia, South or Central America, or my native Australia, and you want to say goodbye, what would you say?
I have no idea. Repeat after me.
You too, smarties. Ready?
You'd say, Hooroo, mate.
See you tomorrow. Hooroo, mate.
See you tomorrow. To which I'd say, In a while, crocodile.
See, in those parts of the world, you can't say, See you later, alligator, because there ain't no gators, but there are crocs.
Fun fact, There's only one place in the entire world where you can find both crocodiles and alligators.
Smarty Pants, can you guess the one spot in the world where alligators and crocodiles live together?
Here's a hint. It's in the southernmost state in the United States of America.
Did you say Florida?
Good on you, mate. South Florida, to be exact, in the wild wetlands known as the Everglades.
Which happens to be where we are I asked my reptile expert cousin, Allie To take us on a tour in her airboat Hi, Allie Hey, Maroon Y 'all ready to see some crocs and gators?
Let's do it to it So, wait, you two are cousins?
Yeah, what's so strange?
No, it's just you're very Australian And she's very Floridian Bless your heart.
Maroon and I are distant relatives.
Our family split more than 100 years ago, when my great -great -great -grandparents moved to America, and his stayed in Australia.
That's kind of like what happened with alligators and crocodiles.
Except their family split 80 million years ago, before the dinosaurs went extinct.
These creatures don't change much over time, which is why they're so similar.
But with the trained eye, you can tell them apart.
Now, look at that alligator resting on a log over there.
You see its snout? That big long thing with teeth.
Yeah, I see it, and I'm glad it's way over there.
Well, an alligator's snout is broad, round, and U -shaped.
And when its mouth is closed, you can see only its upper teeth.
That's because its lower jaw is a little bit smaller than its upper.
On the other hand, a crocodile has a longer, narrower snout that's more pointed and V -shaped.
Its upper and lower jaws are about the same size, so when Crocs' mouth is closed, you see some bottom teeth, too.
It kind of gives an evil smile.
And those sharp teeth?
They ain't for chewing, mate.
That's one thing Crocs and gators have in common.
They use their teeth to bite into animals and hold them.
Sometimes they tear their food into smaller chunks, but most times they'll just swallow their prey whole.
Yeah, I think I'll stay far away.
What do they eat? All kinds of things, from itty -bitty fish to great big buffalo.
And, yeah, the occasional human.
Here's a cool thing.
You know how you lose your baby teeth and grow adult teeth?
But if you lose an adult tooth, that's it.
It's gone. Crocodiles and alligators have an unlimited number of teeth.
So if one pops out, another one grows in.
Over and over again.
Wonderful. Can we talk about something other than their terrifying teeth?
Where are the crocodiles anyways?
I'm only seeing alligators here.
That's because we're in freshwater, sweetie.
Gators love it. Freshwater is found in rivers, lakes, and streams.
Crocodiles can live in fresh water, but they prefer saltier waters, the kind found in bays, coves, and some swamps.
The Everglades is a special place because it has both fresh water and salt water.
I'll head towards the salt water now.
Can you guess where the salt comes from?
Smartypants, can you guess what gives the Everglades its salt water?
Is it A, the Gulf of Mexico, B, Florida's largest lake, Lake Okeechobee, C, the Pacific Ocean, or D, a giant shaker of salt?
The ocean does have heaps of salt water, mate, but the Pacific is nowhere near Florida.
I reckon some of you smarty -pants remember me saying fresh water can be found in lakes.
And Lake Okeechobee is full of fresh water.
Which means the answer is A, the Gulf of Mexico.
Crocodiles are often found in swamps and other salty waters near the Gulf along the South Florida coast.
Look, I see one over yonder.
Crikey! Look at that long, narrow snout and those big, sharp upper and lower teeth.
Nasty things. You can easily imagine those digging into your leg.
Ain't that right, narrator?
I'm trying not to imagine that.
Are we safe here? didn't you say earlier that crocodiles are more likely to attack?
Relax. I know how to keep us safe.
That's important to remember.
Never, ever go near an alligator or crocodile without a trained expert like myself.
Also, while the crocodile is known to attack humans in Africa and Australia, over here in the States, they're a lot less aggressive.
In fact, in Florida, it's an alligator that's more likely to attack you.
But that doesn't happen often.
I'm still keeping my distance.
Me too. All this talk about alligator and crocodile attacks makes me wonder.
Who'd win in a fight between them?
Who's the better beast?
That's a toughie. But I'd have to say...
Hold on, hold on. Smarty Pants, can you guess who'd win in a fight?
An alligator or a crocodile?
The answer is right after this quick break.
Hi guys, it's Trusty.
Today's episode is brought to you by Squarespace, and I need to tell you about their new design intelligence feature because it's a game -changer for anyone who's been putting off creating a website.
Look, I know how intimidating tech can feel, but Squarespace's AI -powered design system literally transforms your basic ideas into a beautiful, professional website.
We've used Squarespace to build websites here at Atomic, and what I love is that it combines AI tech with their decades of design expertise.
You answer a few simple questions, and it creates a fully customized site that actually looks good.
No more staring at a blank screen wondering where to start, and no need to spend thousands of dollars getting a site designed for a passion project or experimental idea.
Plus, their payment system makes it super easy to get paid for your services.
Whether you're selling courses, booking consulting sessions, or offering downloads, they've got all the popular payment options like Apple Pay and Klarna built right in.
head to squarespace .com slash smarted for a free trial and use code smarted to save 10 % off your first purchase of a website or domain hey smarty parents i love green chef because of how absolutely easy the meals are to make and how every night it feels like we're eating at a restaurant right at home
the variety is excellent and includes meals for special diets like keto gluten -free and calorie smart with pre -portioned ingredients there's less prep less mess and more time to enjoy delicious meals.
Green Chef's easy -to -follow directions means my kitchen -phobic family members actually cook when we get our Green Chef kit.
And it's a great way to get your kids involved in the kitchen, too.
Plus, Green Chef is owned by HelloFresh, which lets me switch between the brands for even more variety.
And now my listeners can enjoy both at a discount with me.
Thrive all year with clean, easy meals from Green Chef.
Go to greenchef .com slash smartedfree and use code SMARTEDFREE to get free salads for two months plus 50 % off your first box.
That's greenchef .com slash SMARTEDFREE and use code SMARTEDFREE to get free salads for two months plus 50 % off your first box.
Green Chef, the number one meal kit for eating well.
Parents, if you've ever experienced bedtime battles with the kids, I'm going to let you into a little secret.
I'm Abby, a mother of two, and I had these battles myself.
Endless excuses, delay tactics and many tears and tantrums.
But I've created a solution.
The perfect kids podcast that makes bedtime a dream.
It's called Koala Moon and it's hosted by me, Abby.
With over 300 episodes packed with original stories and sleep meditations, Koala Moon makes bedtimes easy and enjoyable.
Episodes start out engaging and really rather magical.
but as they progress, they gently slow to a calm and relaxing pace to have your little ones out like a light.
Since launching in 2022, Koala Moon has helped with over 20 million nights sleep and received over 6 ,000 five -star reviews.
Win back your evenings.
Listen to Koala Moon now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Now back to Who Smarted.
So, who'd win in a reptile wrestling match?
An alligator or a crocodile?
They don't really fight much Ah, but let's say they did If they did fight, crocodiles are usually larger and more aggressive than alligators So, I'd say the crocodile Ha!
I knew it! You owe me an ice cream, narrator Did we even bet?
Of course. There's one beast that's a huge threat to gators and crocs.
Smarty Pants, do you know?
Shout out your guesses.
I heard rhinos, hippos, pythons, Godzilla.
So what is it? Humans.
Humans hunt crocs and gators so much, both families are in danger.
Even though they've been around millions of years.
Recent laws have cut back on hunting, but many still do it illegally.
Not to mention, when developers build on wetlands, they destroy the habitat of alligators and crocodiles.
A shame, considering they do so much for the world.
They do? I thought they were just mean and scary.
Listen, mate. Take the Nile crocodile, one of the nastiest creatures on the earth.
It actually helps the environment by eating the river's catfish.
Without crocodiles, them catfish would eat up many of the other fish that the birds rely on for food.
Some 40 bird species would starve without the crocodile, and gators here in the States also keep the animal population stable.
Plus, they dig holes and trails that end up becoming homes to fish and marine life, which are food for many animals, including humans.
We should all be grateful these creatures exist.
Well, made it back safely Later Gators In a while Crocodile Who -roo to you A super shout out to a wombat loving smarty pants named Thomas In Monk's Corner, South Carolina We're so happy you love laughing and learning with me And all your friends at Who Smarted We're so happy to have you smarting with Who
Smarted, Thomas This episode, Gators vs.
Crocs Was written by Dave Beaudry and voiced by Brandon Bayliss Sophie Plitt and this guy, Jerry Colbert.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn.
Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex -Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex -Davis and Jerry Colbert.
This is an Atomic Entertainment production.
Who's smarted?