AMERICAN ALLIGATOR

Alligator mississippiensis

Biology

Keystone Species

◆ Water retained in gator holes help other species survive, making them vital to freshwater ecology throughout the southeast.

◆ Wading birds nest over bodies of water in part due to the protection provided by alligatorsracoons and other predators can't reach the nests and steal eggs or chicks.

◆ They have up to 80 teeth.

Compiled

by Neva Parsons and John "Crawfish" Crawford

◆ While most reptiles have 3-chambered hearts, alligators have four chambers, like birds.

◆ Their retinas reflect light, giving them great night vision, and also giving their eyes a red glow at night.

◆ Sex is determined in the egg during incubation - warmer temps within the eggs will result in males, while cooler temps will result in females - the opposite of turtles.

◆ Males can average 10-12 feet and weigh 500-600 pounds.

Fun Facts

◆ Alligators use their tails to propel themselves through water.

◆ These ambush predators use their tails for propulsion to lunge out of the water, fast enough to grab a flying bird.

◆ They have no vocal cords, but bellow by inflating their bodies with air and expelling it. The force is so great that water droplets on their backs actually vibrate and the sound can be heard and felt for great distances.

◆ South Florida is the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles are found together.

Males are very territorial and after reaching sexual maturity, will range great distances seeking territories of their own, like this big fella' at Horton Pond, on Jekyll Island.