American alligator

미시시피악어

With its broad U-shaped snout, the American alligator is a famous conservation success story, brought back from the brink. Large males approach 4 m, and the mother guards a nest mound of piled-up plants where her eggs hatch.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Reptiles
Lives in: Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, USA
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Weight: about 230 kg
Length: about 3.4 m
Top speed: about 32 km/h
Lifespan: up to about 70 years
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN LC)
Habitat: wetlands, rivers & lakes

Quick answers

Where does the American alligator live?

It lives in wetlands, rivers & lakes. On the globe you can find it near Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, USA.

How big is the American alligator?

It grows to about 3.4 m and 230 kg.

What does the American alligator eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

How fast is the American alligator?

It can reach about 32 km/h.

How long does the American alligator live?

It can live up to about 70 years.

Is the American alligator endangered?

It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).

The American alligator is a large reptile that lives in freshwater wetlands of the southeastern United States, such as marshes and cypress swamps. Its range runs from southern Oklahoma and Texas to North Carolina. Its wide, U-shaped snout and darker colour help tell it from the American crocodile.

Adult males are usually 3.4 to 4.8 m long and can weigh up to 450 kg, and females are smaller. It is an apex predator that eats fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Today it is listed as Least Concern. It is one of two living species in its genus, and it is bigger than the other, the Chinese alligator.

A caring reptile mom

Alligators build a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves and mud on land near water. The mother guards the eggs during incubation and carries hatchlings to the water in her mouth.

Young alligators have yellow bands around their bodies. Wikipedia says mothers may protect them for up to a year or even up to three years. This kind of parental care is rare in reptiles.

Swamp engineers

Alligators dig alligator holes that hold water in dry seasons, giving wet and dry places for other animals.

In breeding season males bellow to claim territory and use infrasound, very low sounds, to attract females. The card calls the alligator a conservation success story after it was brought back from the brink. Alligators handle cooler climates better than American crocodiles, which are less tolerant of cold.

Fun facts

Whether its eggs hatch as males or females depends on the temperature of the nest.
Males can bellow so deep that part of the sound is infrasound.
The mother carries her hatchlings to water in her mouth.
The American alligator is one of only two living alligator species.