American alligator
A big, armor-backed reptile that floats like a log in southern swamps and rivers, the top predator of the wetlands at Everglades and Congaree.
American alligator at a glance
Alligator mississippiensis AL-ih-gay-ter; Alligator mississippiensis is AL-ih-gay-ter miss-iss-ip-ee-EN-sis
- Type
- Reptile · crocodilian
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Size
- A grown male can reach 11 to 13 feet, about as long as a small car, and females are smaller, around 8 to 9 feet. A large male can weigh close to 500 pounds.
- Lifespan
- Around 35 to 50 years in the wild.
- Conservation
- Least concern (IUCN); recovered and no longer endangered, still federally protected in the U.S.
Eats fish, turtles, snakes, birds, small mammals
It is an ambush hunter. It floats almost hidden with just its eyes and nose above the water, then lunges and grabs prey in strong jaws. It swallows small animals whole and can go a long time between big meals.
Should you worry?
This one is genuinely dangerous, so the rules are simple and firm. Stay well back from the water's edge, at least a bus length. Never, ever feed an alligator, because a fed gator loses its fear of people and becomes dangerous. Keep small kids and dogs away from shorelines, do not swim where alligators live, and do not go near a nest or a baby, because a mother alligator guards her young. Watch from a safe distance and you will be fine.
From the bank an alligator can look like a floating log. Dark, still, only its eyes and nostrils breaking the surface. Then it moves. It is an ambush hunter, and it holds almost hidden until a fish, turtle, bird, or small mammal comes close, then lunges and grabs with jaws strong enough to hold whatever the water brings. A grown male can reach eleven to thirteen feet, about the length of a small car, and a large one weighs close to five hundred pounds. It has a wide, rounded, U-shaped snout and looks nearly black, which is how you tell it from the narrow-snouted, grayish crocodile. The Everglades is the one place on Earth where the two live side by side.
For all its teeth, the alligator is part of what holds the swamp together. In the dry season it digs out deep spots called gator holes that stay wet after the shallow marsh has dried, and fish, turtles, birds, and other animals crowd into that water to wait out the drought. A mother alligator is a careful parent, too. She builds a mound of piled plants for a nest, guards the eggs, and when the young hatch and start peeping she can carry them gently to the water in the same mouth she hunts with. The babies stay near her for up to a year.
This is one animal where the danger is real, so the rules are short and firm. Stay well back from the water’s edge, at least a bus length, and never get between an alligator and the water. Never feed one. A fed alligator loses its fear of people, and that is when it turns dangerous, which is why feeding them is against the law in most places. Keep dogs and small kids away from the shoreline, do not swim where alligators live, and give any nest or baby a wide berth, because the mother is not far off.
Did you know?
- Alligators dig water holes called "gator holes" that hold water through the dry season. Fish, turtles, birds, and other animals crowd into them to survive, so the alligator helps keep the whole swamp alive.
- A mother alligator is a careful parent. She builds a mound of plants for a nest, guards her eggs, and can gently carry her hatchlings to the water in her mouth. The babies stay near her for up to a year, peeping to call her.
- The Everglades is the one place on Earth where alligators and crocodiles live side by side. An alligator has a wide, rounded snout and looks dark; a crocodile has a narrower snout and looks grayish-green.
Common questions
Are alligators dangerous to kids?
Yes, they can be, so stay well back from the water and never get between a gator and the water. Keep your distance, keep dogs and little kids away from the edge, and never feed one.
Why should you never feed an alligator?
A fed alligator stops being afraid of people and starts coming close looking for food. That is how an alligator becomes dangerous, and in most places feeding them is against the law.
How do you tell an alligator from a crocodile?
An alligator has a wide, U-shaped snout and looks dark, almost black. A crocodile has a narrow, V-shaped snout and looks grayish-green. In the Everglades you can find both.
What do alligators eat?
Fish, turtles, snakes, birds, and small mammals. They grab prey with strong jaws and often swallow small animals whole.