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In 1807, Georges Cuvier created the genus Alligator the American alligator and the Chinese alligator are the only extant species in the genus. The American alligator was first classified by French zoologist François Marie Daudin as Crocodilus mississipiensis in 1801.

The species is the official state reptile of three states: Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Subsequent conservation efforts have allowed their numbers to increase and the species was removed from endangered status in 1987. Historically, hunting had decimated their population, and the American alligator was listed as an endangered species by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The conservation status of the American alligator is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Young are born with yellow bands around their bodies and are protected by their mother for up to one year. Eggs are laid in a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves, and mud in a sheltered spot in or near the water. Male American alligators use infrasound to attract females. Throughout the year (in particular during the breeding season), American alligators bellow to declare territory, and locate suitable mates. They play an important role as ecosystem engineers in wetland ecosystems through the creation of alligator holes, which provide both wet and dry habitats for other organisms. It is distinguished from the sympatric American crocodile by its broader snout, with overlapping jaws and darker coloration, and is less tolerant of saltwater but more tolerant of cooler climates than the American crocodile, which is found only in tropical and warm subtropical climates.Īmerican alligators are apex predators and consume fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The American alligator inhabits subtropical and tropical freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps, from southern Texas to North Carolina. Females are smaller, measuring 2.6 to 3 m (8.5 to 9.8 ft) in length.

It is one of the two extant species in the genus Alligator, and is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator.Īdult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.6 m (11.2 to 15.1 ft) in length, and can weigh up to 500 kg (1,100 lb), with unverified sizes of up to 5.84 m (19.2 ft) and weights of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) making it the second largest member of the family Alligatoridae, after the black caiman. The American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. Approximate range of American alligator in the United States

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