Scientific Name: Alligator Mississippiensis

Status:

Facts: Alligators can grow over 14 feet long and can weigh up to 500 pounds! In the wild, they can live beyond 50 years of age. Alligators and crocodiles can easily be confused, however, they each have their own unique characteristics.

Alligators also have a wider snout compared to the more narrow snout of the crocodile. Alligators have pits in the upper jaw so their teeth are hidden when their mouths are closed compared to crocodiles’ teeth that remain visible. Alligators are also the top predator in the marshlands feeding on almost anything including mammals, birds, fish, insects, crustaceans, and even turtles.

Range: American Alligators are found throughout the southeastern part of the United States from Florida northward to the Carolinas and eastward to Texas.

Conservation: Over one million alligators were killed for their hides in the state of Florida between 1930 and 1940. The American alligator has been federally protected since 1967, preceding the endangered species act of 1973. They were removed from the endangered species list in 1987. Today it is estimated that over 6 million American alligators live in the United States.

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Saving Wildlife International
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