90°, FairWildlife of Florida: The Alligator
The name alligator comes from the Spanish term el lagarto meaning “the lizard”, though their nickname, especially in Florida, is simply “gator”. Despite Florida’s official state animal being the panther, the American alligator is the official state reptile, and well known throughout the country as a symbol and inhabitant of Florida.
Habitat and Distribution
The United States and China are the only two countries in the world that alligators are native to. In the United States, alligators inhabit the southeast, with over a million alligators populating the state of Florida alone. This reptile prefers freshwater environments such as wetlands, rivers, ponds, swamps, lakes and marshes, of which Florida is plentiful. Outside of Florida, one can find alligators in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Smithsonian This contains a fact sheet on American alligators, detailing their habitat.
University of Florida Provides a map showing the distribution of American alligators in the US.
Physical Characteristics
Often described as a “living fossil” by scientists, alligators have inhabited the earth for over 200 million years. While the average alligator is 800 pounds and 13 feet long, researchers have found some weighing over 1,000 pounds and over 14 feet long. They are often brown, grey, olive or black in color with a white underside. Nearly half of an alligator’s length is its tale, and their front feet are equipped with five sharp claws while their back feet are equipped with four. The public knows alligators for their crushing bite, which scientists have proven in laboratory testing, measuring the alligator’s bite at 2,125 pounds per force (lbf) – the strongest measured bite of any living animal ever recorded.
National Geographic Provides a multitude of photos of the American alligator.
Adaptations for an Aquatic Environment
The average alligator’s tale is at least 6 feet long and they use it to propel themselves through the water, where they can remain several hours if not vigorously swimming. However, they can only stay underwater for a little over 20 minutes while hunting. Their ability to stay underwater for this length of time is due to their ability to reroute blood through their body thus reducing circulation to the lungs and limiting their need for oxygen. They also have two sets of eyelids, with the inner lids being clear, therefore allowing them to see underwater clearing while protecting their eyes at the same time.
Animal Corner Provides a history of the evolution of the American alligator.
Behavior
Generally, the larger the alligator the more solitary they are. While territorial creatures, smaller alligators often live in large numbers close together, while larger alligators (especially males) live alone and are highly defensive. Alligators are capable of short bursts of violence though are typically timid towards humans, choosing to move away if one approaches. Despite this, alligators have and do claim human lives, though the average is less than six per year in the US.
Nature Works Provides information on the behavioral characteristics of alligators.
Diet and Eating Habits
Although alligators are capable of living up to three years without food, they rarely have to. Despite the fact that they prefer to eat fish, turtles, snakes, birds and amphibians, they can and do eat anything, even deer, dogs, livestock, panthers and bears. This catch-all diet has earned the alligator the title of “King of the Everglades” and made them the alpha predator of Florida. As alligators swallow their food whole, their stomachs contain gastroliths that aide in digestion.
US Geological Survey Provides details of the American alligator’s diet.
Reproduction and Caring of Young
During the spring, male alligators use deep toned roars and infrasound to attract female alligators and ward off competitors. Males will court females for nearly two months before ever mating with them, and over 70 percent of females will chose to stay with their mate for a number of years, and in some cases for the rest of their life. Once the male and female mate, the female builds a nest for her eggs in a sheltered area either in or near water. She will lay twenty to fifty eggs and then proceed to cover them to keep the eggs warm. Unlike most reptiles, the temperature at which the female keeps the eggs determines the sex of the hatchlings, with eggs kept between 90-93 degrees Fahrenheit becoming male and those kept between 82 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit becoming female. A mix of these temperatures will produce a mix of both male and female offspring. The incubation period is sixty five days, and the mother stays near the nest the entire time, protecting her future young from intruders. Once the young begin to hatch, they call out for their mother and she then digs them out. For the next five months, the young alligators will stay with their mother as she teaches them to hunt and protects them from danger.
Ojatro Provides information on the breeding of American alligators as well as videos and photos showing how it takes place.
Wild Magazine Details the reproductive cycle and mating practices of American alligators.
Communication
Despite having no vocal cords, alligators can grunt, cough, growl, hiss and bellow to communicate with each other. They also utilize complex body movements to communicate with one another, as well as give off a distinctive smell to alert each other to their presence. Males often use hissing sounds prior to a defensive attack, and bellow song-like choruses during mating season. Alligators can also project infrasonic signals to call to each other that are so strong they make ripples in the water.
National Biological Information Infrastructure Provides details on the complex ways in which alligators communicate.
Sound Board Provides several audio clips of alligators communicating.
Longevity and Causes of Death
The Florida Alligator can live for over seventy years, with the average alligator living to sixty years. Because they are often the alpha predator in their habitat, old age is usually the cause of their death. An alligator’s blood is also a powerful bacteria and disease fighting liquid, making it difficult for an alligator to die from an illness. Besides old age, death at the hands of humans is the greatest threat to Florida alligators.
National Parks Conservation Association Provides information regarding the extinction threat to alligators.
