---
title: "American alligator vs great hammerhead — size, speed and bite "
description: "American alligator and great hammerhead compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an "
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-alligator-vs-great-hammerhead/
site: "At One Place"
---

# American alligator vs great hammerhead

**American alligator vs great hammerhead: American alligator leads on 1 of 3 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

A broad-snouted crocodilian of the US Southeast, recovered from near-extinction to over a million animals. The largest hammerhead, whose broad head spreads its electroreceptors for finding buried rays. On the measurements below, American alligator leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | American alligator | great hammerhead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 70–500 kg | 150–580 kg |
| Length | 2.6–4.6 m | 2.7–6.1 m |
| Bite force | 1,000–2,980 psi | — |
| Lifespan | 35–70 yr | 20–44 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: near enough identical.
- Length: near enough identical.
- Lifespan: American alligator is 1.7× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a American alligator bigger than a great hammerhead?

great hammerhead is heavier — 150–580 kg against 70–500 kg.

### Who would win, a American alligator or a great hammerhead?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a American alligator weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/american-alligator/)
- [How much does a great hammerhead weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/great-hammerhead/)
- [cheetah vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [cougar vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [domestic cat vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [gray wolf vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/gray-wolf-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [coyote vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/coyote-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [African elephant vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [African elephant vs American alligator](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-american-alligator/)
- [blue whale vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/blue-whale-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [bottlenose dolphin vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/bottlenose-dolphin-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [California sea lion vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/california-sea-lion-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [bull shark vs great hammerhead](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/bull-shark-vs-great-hammerhead/)
- [great hammerhead vs lion](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/great-hammerhead-vs-lion/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (https://www.noaa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)