The American alligator was first classified by French zoologist François Marie Daudin as Crocodilus mississipiensis in 1801. The species is the official state reptile of three states: Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Alligators are now harvested for their skins and meat. Subsequent conservation efforts have allowed their numbers to increase and the species was removed from the list in 1987. Historically, hunting had decimated their population, and the American alligator was listed as an endangered species by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The American alligator is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Young are born with yellow bands around their bodies and are protected by their mother for up to one year. Eggs are laid in a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves, and mud in a sheltered spot in or near the water. Male alligators use infrasound to attract females. Throughout the year, but particularly during the breeding season, alligators bellow to declare territory and locate suitable mates. They play an important role as ecosystem engineers in wetland ecosystems through the creation of alligator holes, which provide both wet and dry habitats for other organisms.

ContentsĪlligators are apex predators and consume fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It is distinguished from the sympatric American crocodile by its broader snout, with overlapping jaws and darker coloration, and is less tolerant of saltwater but more tolerant of cooler climates than the American crocodile, which is found only in tropical climates. The American alligator inhabits freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps from Texas to North Carolina. Females are smaller, measuring around 3 m (9.8 ft). Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.6 m (11 to 15 ft) in length, and can weigh up to 453 kg (1,000 lb). It is one of two living species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae it is larger than the other extant alligator species, the Chinese alligator. The American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile endemic to the southeastern United States.

Alabama female alligator wrestler