Learn about the

American Alligator

KINGDOM:  Animalia
PHYLUM:  Chordata
SUBPHYLUM:  Vertebrata
CLASS: Reptilia
ORDER:  Crocodilia
FAMILY:  Alligatoridae
GENUS:  Alligator
SPECIES:  Alligator mississippiensis
POPULATION SIZE: 5,000,000
LIFE SPAN: up to 80 YRS
TOP SPEED: 25 KM/H
WEIGHT: 225 KG
LENGTH: 2.5 to 3.5 M

Where to find the

American Alligator

Major areas of American alligators’ habitat are located in USA, mainly in south-eastern states, including Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, southern Georgia, eastern Texas, south-east of Oklahoma, southern Arkansas, and along the sea coast of Carolina. Habitat of American alligators includes freshwater ponds: rivers, swamps, saturated areas, etc. Nevertheless, alligators can also be found in salty environments.

How the

American Alligator

lives

American Alligators are both diurnal and nocturnal animals, being active all day long. Their homes – dens – are big holes in the ground. Though using dens for protection, alligators love taking sunbaths in warm season of year. Large individuals of American alligator, especially males, defend the territory and lead a solitary lifestyle. Smaller ones, however, keep closer to each other. During the cold season, alligators are usually dormant. They dig up to 65 feet-long tunnels in water, leaving the top part of it above the water level. These caves serve as shelter under extreme weather conditions.

GROUP NAME:  congregation, pod (of young)

What does the

American Alligator

eat?

American alligators are carnivores and they’re not very choosy about food. These animals are satisfied with any kind of prey: from fish to birds, from mammals to other reptiles and, sometimes, even mollusks and insects. However, in spite of being carnivores, these alligators feed upon not only meat, but also fruits.

American Alligator

Relationships

American alligator is polygynous, i.e. one male can mate more than 10 females within his home range. Males of this species are especially careful to defend the territory from other males, particularly during the season of breeding. They try to scare away each other, demonstrating open jaws and colliding with heads. Mating season starts in the middle of spring and lasts until May, after which females start building nests of vegetation. Then, two months later, at the end of June – beginning of July they lay 35-50 eggs. Incubation period lasts 65 days, whereupon baby-alligators hatch out of eggs. The babies join groups called pods. Until the youngsters are under the age of 1 year, the mother protects them from predators, after which the female leaves hatchlings, tending to lay new eggs in the following breeding season. American alligators reach maturity at the age of 10-12 years, when they attain a length of 6 feet.

MATING BEHAVIOR:  Polygyny
REPRODUCTION SEASON:  starts in the middle of spring and lasts until May
PREGNANCY DURATION:  65 days
INDEPENDENT AGE:  1 year
BABY NAME:  hatchling

How many

American Alligator

are there?

POPULATION THREATS

The federal government has listed American alligator as threatened due to its similarity with American crocodile: the latter is endangered and thus the federal government tries to protect them from being confused by hunters. Perhaps, if not the human intervention, American alligators would never have been threatened. However, alligators’ skin is nowadays highly valued, serving as a material for boots, shoes, wallets and purses. And not only their skin is in demand, but also their meat is popular in food industry. In addition to this, currently there are large commercial farms where American alligators are raised as a profitable source of high-quality meat and skin.

POPULATION NUMBER

The overall population of the American alligator counts up to 5.000.000 individuals throughout south-east of USA, 1.25 million of which live in Florida. The ICUN classifies this species as Least Concern (LC).

ECOLOGICAL NICHE

In their habitat, alligators are one of the species that play key role in the environment. Thus, they regulate population of prey species in the area. On the other hand, dens or caves, that they excavate, benefit other animals in area. For example, red-bellied turtle uses nests, left by alligators. In addition, alligators are highly sensitive to toxin, thus serving as good indicators.