American Alligator: Alligator mississippiensis

The American alligator is one of the two species of living alligator species, the other being the Chinese alligator. The American alligator can grow to nearly 15 feet and reach 1000 pounds in weight and live over 30 years. The fossil record indicates that alligators have been around in a nearly unchanged state for over 200 million years.

Alligators were historically the subject of intense hunting in many parts of their range of the Southeastern U.S. and were listed as an endangered species. Currently most populations have rebounded and in 1987 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the species recovered. Alligators are now found from Texas along the Gulf of Mexico to Florida and up the Atlantic coast to North Carolina. The species is protected by law in each of the states in which it occurs and the federal government regulates the trade in Alligator products.

Alligators are dependent on coastal wetlands for survival and they play the role of apex predator in these ecosystems. The conservation of river and wetland habitats is critical to the continued success of the species recovery. They are voracious predators and eat a variety of prey including fish, turtles, snakes, and mammals ranging from raccoons to bears! The species relies on a mouthful of sharp teeth as well as a powerful tail to subdue prey. Alligators modify the marsh environment by digging holes and burrows. These depressions may hold water during droughts and help other species survive.

After breeding, females build a nest and lay up to 50 eggs. Baby alligators hatch after about 2 months of incubation and stay with their mother for several months afterwards. Sex of the offspring is determined by the temperature of the eggs during development. Warmer temperatures produce males while cooler temperatures lead to females.