Reptiles · Crocodilia · Alligatoridae

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Recovered after being endangered in the mid-20th century, it is practically identical to the ancestors that lived alongside non-avian dinosaurs more than 37 million years ago.

Weight

120 kg – 560 kg

Size

3 m – 4.6 m

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Crepuscular

Active above all at dawn and dusk.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterCarnivore Crepuscular Solitary Reptile Freshwater

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Fun facts

The sex of the hatchlings is set by the nest temperature: above 34°C they are male, below 30°C female.
It eats fish, turtles, snakes, birds and small mammals, matching its prey to its own size.
It lives in fresh-water rivers, lakes, swamps and marshes of the south-eastern United States.
regeneraciónIt can partly regrow the tip of its tail after losing it, though without restoring full working bone or muscle.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Fresh-water rivers, lakes, swamps and marshes of the south-eastern United States
Birth weight: ~65 grams; 20-25 cm long
Size at birth: 20-25 cm long on hatching, with yellow stripes on black that fade with age
Sexual maturity: 10-12 years, on reaching roughly 1.8 m in length
Gestation / incubation: 65-70 days
Litter / clutch size: 20 to 50 eggs per clutch (up to 90 in exceptional cases)
Lifespan in captivity: A documented record of up to 70-84 years (an animal called Saturn died in Moscow in 2020 at an estimated, unconfirmed, 84)

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; Dimensions.com; Amnéville Zoo; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Spot; Georgia DNR; Smithsonian National Zoo; CrocodileVsAlligator.com; National Wildlife Federation