American Alligator
Latin Name: Alligator mississippiensis
Species: Reptile
Conservation Status: S4-5 - Secure
American alligators are impressively large and powerful animals. Hatchlings are born 8-10 inches long and grow anywhere from 3-14 inches a year. Males can grow to approximately 13 feet and 500 pounds; females grow to 9 feet and 200 pounds. Half of an alligator’s entire body length is tail. You can calculate the approximate length of an alligator by estimating the distance from eyes to nose in inches and converting it to feet. As hatchlings, their body is striped to allow them to camouflage into marsh grasses. This coloration is lost in adulthood, becoming a more solid dark green or black color.
Range & Habitat (map)
American alligators occur on the Atlantic Coast from Florida to North Carolina, and along the Gulf Coast to Texas. They are found primarily in freshwater wetlands such as swampy areas, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds, but they will occasionally venture into brackish water.
Diet
Alligators are carnivorous throughout their life. Hatchlings will eat small fish, amphibians, insects, crayfish, and other invertebrates. As they grow larger, alligators will hunt large fish, turtles, snakes, birds, and small mammals. Alligators are ambush predators who hunt mainly at night, using sensitive specialized pressure sensors on their snout to locate prey in the water. Large alligators can go up to a year without eating and adjust their feeding habits depending on the temperature.
Life History
American alligators typically breed April through May, which is when you may see or hear bellowing, water slapping, and bubble blowing– all parts of the courtship ritual. In June and July, females will construct mound nests on shorelines and lay 20-60 eggs. In approximately 2 months, hatchlings will emerge, their sex being determined by the temperature of their incubation. Cooler temperatures produce female alligators, which warmer termperatures produce males. Hatchlings may call with a chirping noise to attract their mothers- alligators are one of the few reptiles that display parental care for up to 3 years. Alligators can live to be 60 years or more.
Significance
Alligators are a keystone species, meaning they play an essential role in the functioning of their ecosystem. Their position at the top of the food chain as an apex predator controls their prey populations. They also create wetland habitat by creating “gator holes” which provide refuge for many other animals during dry periods.
Threats & How You Can Help
Alligator populations were once at risk, but recent protections have allowed their numbers to rebound. Although populations are much more stable now, they are still at risk of losing habitat due to development or pollution. In South Carolina, it is illegal to feed, harass, or otherwise interact with alligators unless properly permitted. These actions can lead alligators to be more comfortable around people, and put the alligator and people in danger.