American Alligators Inhabit The Southeastern United States

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) inhabit the southeastern United States. Once a federally listed endangered species, American alligators have recovered and are common in many areas of the Southeast. The species is still federally listed as threatened because it looks like the American crocodile, which is endangered.
Alligators are long-lived animals whose life spans can exceed 60 years. Alligators are 揷old-blooded,� meaning that they are ectothermic animals that cannot regulate their own body temperature, but assume the temperatures of their surrounding environment. To warm themselves, alligators bask in the sun, which is when they are frequently observed on the banks of water bodies. On hot summer days they can sometimes be seen basking with their mouths open. This is a cooling mechanism essentially equivalent to a dog panting. Ecologically, alligators are important predators and create important habitat for other wildlife by digging holes that hold water during droughts.
Range and habitat: Alligators occur on the Atlantic Coast of North America from Florida through coastal North Carolina, and along the Gulf Coast into Texas. Alligators are restricted to the Coastal Plain, which includes the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia and South Carolina. In South Carolina, alligators have been recorded to reach lengths of more than 13 feet.
Alligators live in swampy areas, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. Females and juveniles occasionally use seasonal wetlands, such as Carolina Bays. Although they are primarily freshwater animals, alligators will also venture into brackish salt water. On the Savannah River Site, alligators are abundant in the Savannah River, its swamp and tributaries, L-Lake, Par Pond and other reservoirs on the site.
Reproduction: Alligators are active year-round, but they are most active in the warmer months in Georgia and South Carolina. With the start of their breeding season in May, males "bellow " to females and other males in the area. Alligator courtship is complex and involves a variety of vocalizations, head-slapping on the water抯 surface, body posturing, snout and back rubbing, bubble blowing, and pheromone (scent) signals. By June, pairs have mated, and females begin building mound nests out of marsh reeds or other vegetation. This rotting vegetation helps warm the eggs during incubation.
Sometime during late June to mid-July, females lay between 20 and 60 eggs. The hard-shelled, white eggs are about 3 inches long and resemble goose eggs. The mother defends the nest against predators throughout the incubation period, approximately 65 days. When the eggs are ready to hatch, the mother alligator digs into the nest mound, opens any eggs that have not hatched, and carries the young down to the water. Females sometimes aggressively defend their young for more than a year.
Mother alligators that are killed or removed from the area cannot defend their nests or young, and the hatchlings often are doomed. If the young escape predation and can find enough food, they may grow between 3 and 8 inches in length yearly. When they reach lengths of about 6 feet, they are considered adults.

Simple Knowing American Alligators

American alligators are found in freshwater swamps, marshes, lakes and rivers along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina (in the north) to the most southern parts of Florida.
Classification of the American Alligator

• Order - Crocodilia
• Family - Crocodylidae
• Subfamily - Alligatorinae
• Genus - Alligator
• Species - Alligator mississippiensis

As classified above, the American alligator is part of the Alligator genus. This genus consists of only two species — the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis).
Alligator Fast Facts
Even though the reptile family of crocodiles have been around since the Cretaceous period (80 million years ago), there are actually only two species of alligator. One is the Alligator sinensis (Chinese) that is only found in the Yangtze River Basin, and the other is the Alligator mississippiensis (American) that is found in the southeastern United States.

Alligators live in fresh-water swamps, lakes, and bayous that range as far west as the Rio Grande in Texas and as far north as North Carolina. Alligators are cold-blooded (ectothermic) and warm their bodies by the sun.

Physical Features
Alligators are often mistaken for their cousins the crocodiles and caimans. However, their snouts are broader, flat, and rounded on the end. Also, their lower teeth cannot be seen when their mouths are closed.

Alligators resemble lizards in shape but with thicker bodies and tails. Their eyes stick above their skulls so they can see when their bodies are underwater. Alligators have rough, ridged skin on their backs with dozens of small bones called osteoderms or scuts. Their underbellys are smooth and were popular for making handbags, shoes, etc. Adults are a dull grey or olive in color but young alligators have yellow stripes across their bodies that fade with age.
Today, male alligators will grow to about 12 feet and weigh around 550 pounds (249 kg). Females will reach about 9 feet and 168 pounds (73 kg). Alligators' jaws are hinged on the bottom and contain about 80 very sharp teeth. When teeth are lost or damaged, new ones will continue to grow.
Family Matters
Maturity in alligators has more to do with size than age. A female will mature when she is about 6 feet in length. After mating in the spring, she will build a large nest of mud, soft twigs, and plants above flood level. She will lay a clutch of eggs (from 30 to 60) in the middle of the nest and then cover them with more mud and vegetation.
The temperature of the nest will determine the sex of the eggs. Over 93 degrees Fahrenheit and it will be males. Below 86 degrees Fahrenheit and it will be females; between those two will be a mix of the two sexes.

The mother will guard the nest from all predators for about 60 days. When the youngsters are ready to start hatching, they emit a high, sharp bark. Then the mother will help them by uncovering the eggs and aiding in breaking the shells.

Baby alligators are called hatchlings, and a group of them is called a pod. The babies are about 9 inches in length. They are very vulnerable to snakes, wading birds, raccoons, and even other alligators! That is why the mother will remain close for a year or more, in which the babies will grow a foot a year up to six years. From then on, females will grow much slower than the males.
Eating Habits
Alligators are nocturnal feeders and prefer fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, and birds, but will also eat carrion (dead carcasses).
An alligator will drag his prey underwater to drown it first. Alligators have a special valve in their throats called a glottis that prevents them from drowning! However, the alligator must come above water to swallow his prey, which he will do whole. If the prey is too large to do that, he will twist and flip and squirm until a piece comes loose enough to swallow.
Alligators will also attack small animals such as dogs and pigs. Alligators that become familiar with humans can be dangerous and will sometimes attack. That is why it is illegal in Florida to feed alligators in the wild. Sometimes alligators are blamed for the attacks by their more aggressive cousin, the crocodile.
Status
In 1967, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared alligators an endangered species. However, they have made such a strong comeback that they now allow "controlled" hunting. In the wild, alligators are expected to live from 35 to 50 years. Today, they are raised on "farms" for their meat and skins and tourist attractions.
Fab Facts
Even though an alligator's jaws are very strong, when closed, they can be held shut by a person's bare hands! An alligator's upper jaw is actually part of its skull.
Alligators can walk, run, and crawl. The so-called "high-walk" is when an alligator's limbs are directly underneath its body (instead of splayed to the side) so it can lift his whole body and most of the tail off the ground.