American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Range: The American alligator is native to the southeastern United States ranging from eastern North Carolina to southern Florida, west to eastern Texas, and north to southern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The alligator can tolerate colder conditions than can any of the crocodiles and, therefore, has a more northern range.

Habitat: Freshwater lakes, swamps, bayous and marshes, and it may on occasion enter brackish or saltwater habitats. Alligators live singly in dens in river or lake banks. In marshes, they hollow out large "gator holes" for their dens. All alligators bask in the sun.

Size/Description/Coloration: Mature alligators are generally black. Alligators are similar in appearance to the crocodile. There are several ways to tell the difference. The snout of an alligator is wide and rounded at the end, whereas the snout of a crocodile is narrow and pointed. In the alligator, the upper row of teeth is placed outside the lower row. When the mouth is closed, usually only the upper teeth show. The fourth tooth on the lower jaw of the crocodile fits into a groove in its upper jaw and is visible even when the mouth is closed.

Reproduction: The mating season begins in March when the males attract the females with thundering bellows and with musk released from several scent glands near the mouth and cloaca (vent). A receptive female will answer a male with a quieter bellow. After mating, the female builds a nest up to seven feet in diameter and guards the nest during the approximate 10 week incubation period. The mound-shaped nest is composed of decaying vegetation, which emits the heat necessary to incubate the eggs. The young are very vocal just before hatching which may signal the female to open the nest. The young are nine inches long, are black with yellow crossbands and may remain with the female for several months. This extended maternal care is unusual among reptiles.

The sex of alligators is determined by nest temperature early in the incubation period (from 7th to 21st day). If the nest temperature is below 86 degrees, all hatchlings are female. Above 93 degrees, all hatchlings are males. At temperatures in between there are both males and females, usually with a greater percentage of females.

Diet: Alligators are carnivorous. The young feed on small animals and insects and, in turn, are preyed upon by carnivorous birds, fish and mammals. Older alligators feed on larger animals, particularly large rodents, and they perform a valuable service by controlling rodent populations. They catch their prey by lying submerged near banks, with only their eyes, ears and nostril above water level. When an animal comes to drink, they seize it and pull it into the water, where they drown it. If the alligator is lying on the bank, it may use its powerful tail to knock an animal into the water, where it is then grabbed, drowned and consumed. Digestion is aided by ingested stones in the alligator’s stomach that mechanically breaks down food.

Status in the Wild: Threatened due to similarity of appearance