American Alligator
(Alligator mississippiensis)
Order: Crocodylia
Family: Alligatoridae
Genus: Alligator
Species: Alligator mississippiensis
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HABITAT AND RANGE:
Alligators are found in fresh and
brackish marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers
and swamps throughout the southeastern
United States. |
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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Adult Alligators are the largest
reptiles in North America reaching
lengths of 6-19 feet and weights of up
to 500 lbs. Young alligators are usually
black with yellow stripes and adults are
a uniform dark color. Alligators are
distinguished from crocodiles because
they have rounded snouts and their
bottom teeth are not visible when their
mouths are closed; the crocodile has a
long, pointed snout and the large 4th
tooth on the bottom jaw is visible when
their mouths are closed. The alligator’s
eyes and nostrils are located at the top
of their snouts to allow them to lie
unnoticed with their body totally
submerged in water. |
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ADAPTATIONS:
They are ecologically important because
they create “gator holes”, which are
deep holes that hold water during
drought seasons. These holes allow
alligators to avoid extreme heat and
cold temperatures as well as provide
water to other animals. |
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DIET:
Alligators eat a wide variety of food.
Hatchlings feed on insects, shrimp,
tadpoles and frogs. As they mature, they
begin to eat small fish and snakes. When
they are almost full-grown, fish is the
major portion of their diet. However,
they will eat anything they can catch,
such as raccoons, muskrats, birds,
turtles and other small mammals that
wander into the water. |
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REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT:
Alligators reach sexual maturity when
they reach about 6 feet in length. They
mate in late April or May after emerging
from hibernation. The female will build
a nest of rotting vegetation and deposit
25-60 eggs. The eggs will hatch after
approximately 60-65 days. The sex of the
young is determined by the temperature
of the nest during incubation. The
female will remain near the nest to
protect it and to assist the hatchlings
when they emerge from their eggs. |
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STATUS IN WILD:
Alligators no longer appear on the
Endangered Species List, but they are
still listed as Threatened due to the
similarity in appearance to the
endangered American Crocodile. |
