You wouldn't know it from cartoons, but crocodilians are usually a drab shade of gray or brown, with some edging as close as dull olive, and often have variegated coloration on their backs and tails. This makes sense, as a large predatory animal colored one solid bright color would stand out a mile away, even in green surroundings.
Crocodilians in fiction, especially cartoons, however, are typically depicted as bright, vibrant green, similar to some lizards and amphibians, without any kind of markings or patterns (though some may have a paler green or yellow underbelly). This is perhaps the most egregious when depicting alligators, which are a dark slaty blue-gray as adults. This is one of the Acceptable Breaks from Reality since it's easier to draw and looks better.
The page lists aversions of the phenomenon; straight examples are too many to count.
Subtrope of Amazing Technicolor Wildlife, Green and Mean, Green Is Gross, Somewhere, a Herpetologist Is Crying, and Typical Cartoon Animal Colors. See also Never Smile at a Crocodile, Red Live Lobster and White Bunny.
Examples:
- Averted with the crocodiles in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, in contrast to the crocodiles in the first movie.
- Averted with the alligators in The Princess and the Frog.
- Averted with the crocodiles in Tarzan.
