Basic Facts About American Alligators

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is the largest reptile in North America. It has a large, slightly rounded body and thick limbs. Hatchling alligators are brightly colored with yellow crossbands across their black body and tail. The top of the head is brown. These colors and patterns disrupt the outline of their bodies and help them to camouflage themselves against predators. As they grow larger their brighter colors fade leaving their scales and much of their skin entirely black.

The alligator has a long wide head that is rounded in the front, unlike the crocodile which has a triangular shaped head. The alligator uses its powerful tail to propel itself through water. The tail accounts for half the alligator’s length. 

While alligators can move very quickly in water, they are generally slow-moving on land.

However, when disturbed they are capable of quick bursts of speed for short distances.

They normally do not chase people on land, but they have been known to occasionally bite swimmers and people playing or working at the water’s edge.

Female alligators reach an average length of 7 – 9 feet, but several females have reached 11 feet. Males reach an average of 9 – 11 feet, but can reach lengths of over 13 feet and on rare occasions, over 14. The largest males weigh between 600 and 800 pounds and the heaviest on record was just over 1000.

DIET

Young American alligators eat insects, other small invertebrates and small fish. As they grow larger their diet includes larger fish and larger vertebrates including birds and mammals, as well as turtles and other reptiles. Biologists have discovered that on average 12% of an adult alligator’s diet consists of smaller alligators

POPULATION

Did You Know?

An estimated 5 million American alligators are spread out across the southeastern United States.

Roughly 1.25 million alligators live in the state of Florida, while Louisiana boasts a population of 2 million.

RANGE

American alligators occur throughout Florida and throughout Louisiana. They occur in southern and eastern Georgia and along the coasts of South Carolina and North Carolina almost as far north as Virginia. They range along the gulf coast as far west as eastern Texas where they can be found from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area all the way to Brownsville. A small population survives in south-east Oklahoma.

China is the only other country that has alligators. The Chinese alligator is much smaller than its American cousin and it is considered to be critically endangered. Conservations efforts in China are successfully preventing its extinction, and the species is slowly recovering.

The United States is the only country on earth that has both alligators and crocodiles. The American crocodile occurs in the southern portion of the Florida Everglades and in the Florida Keys.

In the 1970’s the Florida crocodile population was down to just few hundred and only 25 nesting females. Due to both State and Federal conservation efforts the south Florida population of crocodiles now number around 2,000 with 100 nesting females.

Like the American alligator, the American crocodile population in the United States has been removed from the Endangered Species List. Both are still protected by law to ensure their future survival.

Alligators are farmed commercially in the US for their skins and for their meat as part of a sustainable management program. No commercial farming or harvest is allowed for crocodiles due to the relatively small size of the US population.

BEHAVIOR

Alligators inhabit freshwater environments such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, and swamps, as well as coastal brackish environments.

Large male alligators are often solitary territorial animals. The largest males and females will defend their territory.  Smaller alligators can often be found in large numbers in close proximity to each other, because smaller alligators have a higher tolerance of each other within a similar size class.

COMMUNICATION

Although alligators have no vocal cord both males and females bellow loudly to attract mates and to establish territories. They do this by sucking air into their lungs and forcefully blowing it out in intermittent, deep-toned roars.

Hatchling alligators produce a high-pitched chirping sound while hatching and older juveniles produce a louder high-pitched distress call.

REPRODUCTION

Mating occurs in the spring. In early summer the female builds a mound shaped nest of leaves, grass and other vegetation along with sticks and mud. This is typically constructed in a secluded and sheltered spot near to the water. Clutch size varies from 20 – 50 eggs. An alligator egg resembles an elongated chicken egg.

The female guards her nest from predators during the 60-65-day egg incubation period. Hatching generally occurs in late-August and early September.

The sex of the offspring is determined by temperatures in the nest during incubation.

A nest temperature of 86°F produces females, while 92°F produces males. 

Females are known to guard their hatchlings from predators for a period of time ranging from several weeks to several months.

Hatchlings are 9 inches in length and grow an average of one inch every month until they reach maturity. After maturity their growth in length slows but their weight gain increases.

Although they are capable of replacing their teeth all throughout their life, eventually they stop growing.

In the wild their lifespan may average 30 to 50 years and in captivity they have been known to live for more that 80 years provided they are kept from fighting, kept warm in the winter and fed a healthy diet.

Did You Know?

In 1987, Florida declared the alligator their official state reptile!

The largest alligator skull known to exist is at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. It weighs 53 pounds! That alligator was killed in Florida in the 1880’s.

Alligators are an important part of Florida’s natural ecosystems as both predator and prey, and as ecosystem engineers!

Alligators are also important in our state’s economy. They have a valuable hide and the trade in their skins is strictly regulated by State, Federal and International regulations.

Many consider their meat to be very tasty and farm raised alligator meat can be prepared with just about any recipe for fish or chicken.

Alligators are fascination animals and very popular!

They help to attract millions and millions of visitors to our state each year from around the country and around the globe!