8 Reasons To Love Our Croc-Free Crocodile Purse
My voraciously loquacious vixens, ask and you shall receive. Since the 2020 release of the crowd-favourite kitties, a crocodile purse or alligator purse has been the number one most requested design - and I am finally delivering it.
That’s right my sugar snap peas, I’m bringing you your very own alligator/crocodile purse - toe beans and all.
But what exactly is this adorable reptile? And what makes him so special?
Today I will be going over all the things that make our crocodile purse so fabulous. But before I do, I’m going to introduce you to some of the differences between crocodiles and alligators (because it’s a very debated topic).
Understanding the difference between crocodiles and alligators
Crocodiles and alligators are both reptiles with prehistoric ancestry that can be traced back over 70 million years. But although they have a lot of shard history, crocodiles and alligators certainly have their differences - and here they are!
Their snout
One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between crocodiles and alligators is their snout - if it’s pointed in your direction, that is.
Crocodiles have longer, thinner, V-shaped snouts, while alligators have wider, rounded U-shaped snouts.
Their teeth
Crocodiles have a toothier grin. In fact, when an alligator’s mouth is closed, you can’t even see its lower teeth. A croc, on the other hand, has teeth that jut out even when its mouth is shut.
Their teeth are also different shapes. An alligator’s jaws are built for crushing rather than tearing. Because of this, their teeth are less pointed and more cone-shaped. They have an incredible bite strength of about 2125 psi.
The strongest bite strength, however, goes to the crocodile, with up to a whopping 5000 psi! As if that weren’t enough, their teeth are razor-sharp and designed for slicing through flesh. (So it’s pretty clear which reptile would win in a fight.)
Their colouring
You can usually tell a croc from a gator by colour alone. Alligators are usually darker. They can be shiny dark green, grey, or even almost black. Their colouring is fairly even.
Crocodiles, on the other hand, come in a great range of greens, greys, and browns and are usually mottled or speckled in appearance. This skin pattern helps them to blend in with the algae or substrate of their habitats.
So let’s talk about those habitats!
Their habitat
Source: DATABAYOU
The Florida Everglades is the only place on earth where crocodiles and alligators coexist. (Outside of zoos, that is.) Alligators are far less common, being native only to the United States and China.
Crocodiles have a much wider habitat range, being found in the Americas (North, Central, and South), Africa, Asia, and our lovely Australia.
While alligators generally stick to freshwater lakes and marshes, crocodiles thrive in both freshwater and saltwater environments because they have higher functioning salt glands.
The most famous crocodiles in Australia are undoubtedly the giant saltwater crocodiles, but we have some lovely, slim-snouted freshwater crocodiles too. And crocs can be found in oceans, streams, rivers, and channels the world over.
Their size
Crocodiles are, on average, three feet longer than alligators. The largest American alligators grow to be about 14 feet long, while the largest saltwater crocodiles can top out at a length of more than 20 feet!
Their speed
Alligators may be smaller, but they are much faster too. On land, an alligator can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour! Crocodiles can only reach about 20 miles per hour.
In the water, an alligator can swim up to 25 miles per hour, while a croc’s top speed is 18 miles per hour. Still, you wouldn’t want to be caught near either - a professional human swimmer can only reach about 5 miles per hour!
Their lifespan
Crocodiles live longer than alligators. The average crocodile can live between 70-100 years, while an alligator’s lifespan is usually between 30-50 years.
Their personality
On the whole, alligators are more docile. Unless you are disturbing them (or their nest) or they are starving, they will probably leave you alone. Alligators also tend to mate for life.
Crocodiles, on the other hand, are unpredictable. They are prone to bouts of aggression, will attack for little-to-no reason, and have babies with multiple mates. Indeed, they are the belligerent party animals of the reptile world.
Which makes them the perfect party accessory…
8 reasons to swoon over Crocogator the crocodile purse
It’s a crocodile, it’s an alligator, it’s a crocogator! To be honest, I have no idea exactly what animal this wicker purse is from a scientific standpoint - which is why he is named Crocogator.
He has the solid colouring of an alligator, the toothy grin of a crocodile, and the adorable proportions of precisely no reptile on Earth.
But for the sake of simplicity, we are calling him a crocodile purse - which makes him all-that-more Australian.
And, when it comes to crocodile purses, I think he is a snout ahead of the bask. (Yes, if you know your animal group names, a group of crocodiles is indeed a bask!) Here are just some of the things that make this crocodile bag so special:
1. He is simply adorable
From his cute little chompers to his delightful toe beans, Crocogator the crocodile bag is a star. Just look at that friendly face. He’s a crocodile you can actually trust!
This sweet crocodilian will faithfully hold your most cherished belongings - and he will look darn good doing it. Therefore, so will you!
The wiggly little snout of this crocodile purse just screams to be ogled at, and his two character-filled white leather teeth give you a lovely smile at all times.
He has a distinguished brow ridge, inquisitive eyes, and is simply the shortest croc on record - which makes him so easy to love. He’s just a little chomp-log of joy!
2. He is rather versatile
Because this crocodile purse is a solid dark green in colour, and has rather neutral black leather straps, he should be rather simple to slip into your wardrobe.
Dark green goes great with pink (thus his pink polka-dot lining), and also with black, white, brown, plum, yellow, burgundy, orange, other shades of green - and, well, just about most colours!
And because Crocogator doesn’t have any patterns on him, you can pile on as many patterns as you please. He is the perfect neutral from a quirky retro diva standpoint.
It’s not just his colour scheme that is versatile either. This crocodile purse also comes with a detachable crossbody strap, so you can choose exactly how you want to carry him.
3. He comes with a hidden coin purse
Now, when it comes to versatility, Crocogator has one more trick up his sleeve. Or, in this case, his snout.
That’s right, he is hiding an ultra-fabulous coin purse!
Crocogator’s coin purse tongue is a healthy shade of pink and is made from natural woven material and a sturdy pink zipper. This coin purse is attached by a velcro strip, so it’s easy to pop in and out of this crocodile purse’s mouth whenever you need to.
You don’t have to use the coin purse for just coins either. There are so many ways you can utilise a mini coin purse, from storing your earbuds to your favourite lippies.
4. He is sustainably made
If you’re wondering, “is wicker sustainable?” You’re in luck. It is! (At least the way we make it.) This crocodile bag is made from rattan, which is a swiftly renewable natural resource. We make sure not to take too much, or to cause any deforestation in the making of our bags.
We also make a point to have our rattan sourced, dried, woven, and painted all in the same place - the beautiful Philippines! This cuts back on our carbon footprint, as we don’t have to ship our materials internationally.
When a product, such as our crocodile purses, is finished, it takes its slow (and more eco-friendly) journey to our warehouse (ahem, my garage) by boat. Then, we can list it in our stock or send it to your doorstep.
5. He is made with love
For those who don’t know, all the rattan handbags at Wicker Darling are hand-woven and hand-painted purses. Crocogator is no exception.
Our artisans in the Philippines use expert care to create every weft and stitch and brushstroke - and you can see that care and craftsmanship in the final product.
While we do have some in-stock options at all times, the majority of our full-size wicker handbags are made on a pre-order only basis. This means that when you pay for a purse, it will be lovingly made JUST FOR YOU.
That way, we can ensure each of our crocodile purses has a home, and none of them is left floating in landfills or rivers!
As much as a real croc might love a good water source, this crocodile purse is a dry-land, indoor-only living sort of fellow. And we’d like to keep it that way.
All of this to say, this isn’t an instant-gratification purchase, but an after-a-while crocodile.
6. He’ll be around almost as long as a real croc
Don’t be fooled by his quirky charm, this crocodile purse is constructed just as meticulously as any designer handbag. And, if we’re being real here, he IS an Australian designer bag.
At Wicker Darling, we make a point to use the finest quality materials and craftsmanship techniques possible. We want our wicker handbags to be hand-me-down family heirlooms worthy of coveted collectable vintage status.
And, considering the limited-edition quality of these bags, this crocodile purse is already halfway there! While he is technically a retro handbag and not a vintage one (for those who understand the distinction of vintage vs retro), as long as you take good care of him, he will last well into his vintage years.
7. He is wallet-friendly
This crocodile purse is rather easy to get your hands on, especially when you factor in our flexible purse payment plans. I make it very simple for you to spread out the cost of this lovable green murder log via Afterpay or our own in-house payment plans. That way, you don’t have to invest in all this gorgeousness at once.
8. He comes with free shipping!
As if all that weren’t enough, when you purchase this fabulous crocodile purse, it even comes with free international shipping - as do all our handmade purses! That makes it much easier to share the Aussie love with the US, UK, and all the other areas where my Wicker Family resides.
AND you can follow this croc on his journey all the way to your door with our free tracking too! (I just know you’ll watch him like a hawk.)
Ready to wrangle your very own croc?
No fighting, please! All you have to do is press a button.
Come see if this crocodile purse is still around or if he has already slunk away for the season. There’s always a new style of unique handbag to drool over at Wicker Darling.
