American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
Adult Alligator about to bellow
Florida Native
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Class Reptilia
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Order Crocodylia
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Family Crocodylidae
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Florida Native ~ Class Reptilia ~ Order Crocodylia ~ Family Crocodylidae ~
The American Alligator is the largest species of reptile in North America, with males capable of growing more than 13 feet in length. They are found in fresh and brackish water throughout the southern United States from Texas to North Carolina. They are opportunistic carnivores that prey on a variety of animals depending on their size. Juvenile alligators eat small fish, amphibians, and invertebrates. Adults eat fish, turtles, birds, snakes, and small mammals.
Courtship starts in Spring. Male alligators bellow to attract a mate. While bellowing, water on their back ripples outward. Female alligators build a mound nest to incubate her eggs. The hatchlings call out to her with squeaks. She will then gently pick them up in her mouth and carry them to water. Until they reach 4 feet in length, young alligators are prey to other predators like raccoons, birds, snakes, and larger alligators.
Juvenile Alligator
Overhunting almost drove the American Alligator to extinction. Through conservation efforts, their population greatly improved. They are currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and are federally protected. Their current major threat is habitat loss.
Florida is the only place on Earth where alligators and crocodiles coexist. The range of the American Alligator overlaps with the endangered American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the Everglades.
Check the links in sources for more details
Sources
American Alligator. (n.d.). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/alligator/
American Alligator | National Wildlife Federation. (n.d.). National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/American-Alligator
Sergio Balaguera-Reina (Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas). (2018, October 7). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Alligator mississippiensis. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/46583/3009637
