Editing Alligator

{{Short description|Crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Pp-semi-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| italic_title = no
| name = Alligators
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|37.2 | 0|ref=<ref name="Rio2021">{{cite journal |last1=Rio |first1=Jonathan P. |last2=Mannion |first2=Philip D. |date=6 September 2021 |title=Phylogenetic analysis of a new morphological dataset elucidates the evolutionary history of Crocodylia and resolves the long-standing gharial problem |journal=[[PeerJ]] |volume=9 |pages=e12094 |pmid=34567843 |doi=10.7717/peerj.12094 |pmc=8428266 |doi-access=free}}</ref>|PS=[[Priabonian|Late Eocene]] – [[Holocene|present]]}}
| image = Chinese+american alligators.png
| image_caption = An [[American alligator]] (top) and a [[Chinese alligator]]
| taxon = Alligator
| authority = [[Georges Cuvier|Cuvier]], 1807
| type_species = ''[[Alligator mississippiensis]]''
| type_species_authority = [[François Marie Daudin|Daudin]], 1802
| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| subdivision = * {{extinct}}''[[Alligator hailensis]]''
* {{extinct}}''[[Alligator mcgrewi]]''
* {{extinct}}''[[Alligator mefferdi]]''
* ''[[Alligator mississippiensis]]''
* {{extinct}}''[[Alligator munensis]]''
* {{extinct}}''[[Alligator olseni]]''
* {{extinct}}''[[Alligator prenasalis]]''
* ''[[Alligator sinensis]]''
* {{extinct}}''[[Alligator thomsoni]]''
}}

An '''alligator''', or colloquially '''gator''', is a large [[reptile]] in the [[genus]] '''''Alligator''''' of the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Alligatoridae]] in the [[Order (biology)|order]] [[Crocodilia]]. The two [[Extant taxon|extant]] [[species]] are the [[American alligator]] (''A. mississippiensis'') and the [[Chinese alligator]] (''A. sinensis''). Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Alligators first appeared during the late [[Eocene]] epoch about 37&nbsp;million years ago.<ref name="Rio2021"/>

The term "alligator" is likely an [[Anglicisation (linguistics)|anglicized]] form of ''{{lang|es|el lagarto}}'', [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "the lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in [[Florida]] called the alligator.<ref name=histories>{{cite book |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |author=American Heritage Dictionaries |title=Spanish Word Histories and Mysteries: English Words That Come From Spanish |pages=[https://archive.org/details/spanishwordhisto00houg/page/13 13–15] |year=2007 |isbn=9780618910540 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/spanishwordhisto00houg/page/13 }}</ref> Early [[English language|English]] spellings of the name included ''allagarta'' and ''alagarto''.<ref>Morgan, G. S., Richard, F., & Crombie, R. I. (1993). The Cuban crocodile, ''Crocodylus rhombifer'', from late quaternary fossil deposits on Grand Cayman. Caribbean Journal of Science, 29(3–4), 153–164. {{cite web|url=http://200.46.218.171/bds-cbc/sites/default/files/The%20Cuban%20Crocodile%20from%20Late%20Quaternary%20Fossil%20Deposits%20on.PDF |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-03-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329023145/http://200.46.218.171/bds-cbc/sites/default/files/The%20Cuban%20Crocodile%20from%20Late%20Quaternary%20Fossil%20Deposits%20on.PDF |archive-date=2014-03-29 }}</ref>

==Evolution==
Alligators and [[caimans]] split in [[North America]] during the early [[Tertiary]] or late [[Cretaceous]] (about 53&nbsp;million to 65&nbsp;million years ago).<ref name="Pan2020">{{cite journal|last10= Wu|first10=X.-B.|last9= Zhang|first9=B.-W.|last8= Deng|first8=Y.-P.|last7= Ouyang|first7=J.-H.|last6= Jiang|first6=X.-Y.|last5= Lee|first5=P.-S.|last4= Yan|first4=P.|last3= Zhang|first3=H.-B.|last2= Miao|first2=J.-S.|last1= Pan|first1=T.|title= Near-complete phylogeny of extant Crocodylia (Reptilia) using mitogenome-based data|journal= Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |year= 2020|volume=191|issue=4|pages=1075–1089|doi= 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa074}}</ref><ref name="Oaks2011">{{cite journal|last1= Oaks|first1= J.R.|title=A time-calibrated species tree of Crocodylia reveals a recent radiation of the true crocodiles |journal= Evolution |volume= 65|issue= 11|year= 2011|pages= 3285–3297|doi= 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01373.x|pmid= 22023592|s2cid= 7254442|doi-access= free}}</ref> The [[Chinese alligator]] split from the [[American alligator]] about 33&nbsp;million years ago<ref name="Pan2020"/> and probably descended from a lineage that crossed [[Beringia|the Bering land bridge]] during the [[Neogene]]. The modern American alligator is well represented in the fossil record of the [[Pleistocene]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Brochu |first=C.A. |year=1999 |title=Phylogenetics, taxonomy, and historical biogeography of Alligatoroidea |journal=Memoir (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology) |volume=6 |pages=9–100 |doi=10.2307/3889340|jstor=3889340 }}</ref> The alligator's full [[mitochondrial genome]] was sequenced in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Janke, A. |author2=Arnason, U. |year=1997|title=The complete mitochondrial genome of Alligator mississippiensis and the separation between recent archosauria (birds and crocodiles)|journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution|volume= 14|issue= 12|pages= 1266–72|pmid= 9402737|doi= 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a025736|doi-access= free}}</ref> The full [[genome]], published in 2014, suggests that the alligator evolved much more slowly than [[Mammal|mammals]] and [[Bird|birds]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Green RE, Braun EL, Armstrong J, Earl D, Nguyen N, Hickey G, Vandewege MW, St John JA, Capella-Gutiérrez S, Castoe TA, Kern C, Fujita MK, Opazo JC, Jurka J, Kojima KK, Caballero J, Hubley RM, Smit AF, Platt RN, Lavoie CA, Ramakodi MP, Finger JW, Suh A, Isberg SR, Miles L, Chong AY, Jaratlerdsiri W, Gongora J, Moran C, Iriarte A, McCormack J, Burgess SC, Edwards SV, Lyons E, Williams C, Breen M, Howard JT, Gresham CR, Peterson DG, Schmitz J, Pollock DD, Haussler D, Triplett EW, Zhang G, Irie N, Jarvis ED, Brochu CA, Schmidt CJ, McCarthy FM, Faircloth BC, Hoffmann FG, Glenn TC, Gabaldón T, Paten B, Ray DA |title=Three crocodilian genomes reveal ancestral patterns of evolution among archosaurs |journal=Science |volume=346 |issue=6215 |page=1254449 |year=2014 |pmid=25504731 |pmc=4386873 |doi=10.1126/science.1254449 }}</ref>

==Phylogeny==
The genus ''Alligator'' belongs to the [[subfamily (biology)|subfamily]] [[Alligatorinae]], which is the [[sister taxon]] to [[Caimaninae]] (the [[caimans]]). Together, these two subfamilies form the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Alligatoridae]]. The [[cladogram]] below shows the [[phylogeny]] of alligators.<ref name=PanamaCrocs>{{Cite journal | last1 = Hastings | first1 = A. K. | last2 = Bloch | first2 = J. I. | last3 = Jaramillo | first3 = C. A. | last4 = Rincon | first4 = A. F. | last5 = MacFadden | first5 = B. J. | title = Systematics and biogeography of crocodylians from the Miocene of Panama | doi = 10.1080/02724634.2012.713814 | journal = Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology | volume = 33 | issue = 2 | pages = 239 | year = 2013 | bibcode = 2013JVPal..33..239H | s2cid = 83972694 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name=NecrosuchusRev>{{Cite journal | last1 = Brochu | first1 = C. A. | doi = 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00716.x | title = Phylogenetic relationships of Necrosuchus ionensis Simpson, 1937 and the early history of caimanines | journal = Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society | volume = 163 | pages = S228–S256 | year = 2011 | doi-access = free }}</ref>
{{clade| style=font-size:85%;line-height:85%
|label1='''[[Alligatoridae]]'''
|1={{clade
 |1='''[[Caimaninae]]'''
 |label2='''[[Alligatorinae]]'''
 |2={{clade
  |1=''[[Ceratosuchus burdoshi]]''{{extinct}}
  |2=''[[Hassiacosuchus haupti]]''{{extinct}}
  |3=''[[Navajosuchus mooki]]''{{extinct}}
  |4={{clade
   |1=''[[Wannaganosuchus brachymanus]]''{{extinct}}
   |2=''[[Arambourgia|Arambourgia gaudryi]]''{{extinct}}
   |3={{clade
    |1=''[[Allognathosuchus|Allognathosuchus polyodon]]''{{extinct}}
    |2=''[[Allognathosuchus|Allognathosuchus wartheni]]''{{extinct}}
    |3=''[[Procaimanoidea|Procaimanoidea kayi]]''{{extinct}} }}
   |label4='''''Alligator'''''
   |4={{clade
    |1=''[[Alligator prenasalis]]''{{extinct}}
    |2={{clade
     |1=''[[Alligator mcgrewi]]''{{extinct}}
     |2={{clade
      |1=''[[Alligator olseni]]''{{extinct}}
      |2={{clade
       |1=''Alligator sinensis'' '''[[Chinese alligator]]'''
       |2={{clade
        |1=''[[Alligator thomsoni]]''{{extinct}}
        |2=''[[Alligator mefferdi]]''{{extinct}}
        |3=''Alligator mississippiensis'' '''[[American alligator]]''' }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}

==Species==

===Extant===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name !! Distribution
|-
|[[File:AmericanAlligator.JPG|120px]] || ''[[Alligator mississippiensis]]'' || American alligator || the [[Southeastern United States]]
|-
|[[File:ChineseAlligator.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Alligator sinensis]]'' || Chinese alligator ||  eastern [[China]]
|-
|}

===Extinct===

*''[[Alligator hailensis]]''
*''[[Alligator luicus]]''
*''[[Alligator mcgrewi]]''
*''[[Alligator mefferdi]]''
*''[[Alligator munensis]]''
*''[[Alligator olseni]]''
*''[[Alligator prenasalis]]''
*''[[Alligator thomsoni]]''

== Description ==
[[File:Alligator (Cayman Islands?, 1854).jpg|alt=An 1854 watercolor painting of an alligator from the Cayman Islands by Jacques Burkhardt.|thumb|An 1854 watercolor painting of an alligator from the [[Cayman Islands]] by Jacques Burkhardt.]]
An average adult American alligator's weight and length is {{cvt|360|kg|lb}} and {{cvt|4|m|ft|0}}, but they sometimes grow to {{cvt|4.4|m|ft}} long and weigh over {{cvt|450|kg|lb}}.<ref>{{Cite web | title = American Alligator and our National Parks | work = eparks.org | access-date = 2016-05-01 | url = http://www.eparks.org/marine_and_coastal/marine_wildlife/alligator.asp | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090346/http://www.eparks.org/marine_and_coastal/marine_wildlife/alligator.asp | archive-date = 2016-03-04 }}</ref> The largest ever recorded, found in Louisiana, measured {{cvt|5.84|m|ft}}.<ref>{{Cite web | title = Alligator mississippiensis | work = alligatorfur.com | access-date = 2016-05-01 | url = http://alligatorfur.com/alligator/alligator.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305003114/http://alligatorfur.com/alligator/alligator.htm | archive-date = 2016-03-05 }}</ref> The Chinese alligator is smaller, rarely exceeding {{cvt|2.1|m|ft|0}} in length. Additionally, it weighs considerably less, with males rarely over {{cvt|45|kg|lb|-1}}.

Adult alligators are black or dark olive-brown with white undersides, while juveniles have bright yellow or whitish stripes which sharply contrast against their dark hides, providing them additional camouflage amongst reeds and wetland grasses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/csp_amis.htm|title=Crocodilian Species – American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)|work=crocodilian.com}}</ref>

Alligators commonly live up to 50&nbsp;years, but there have been examples of alligators living over 70.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wilkinson |first=Philip M. |last2=Rainwater |first2=Thomas R. |last3=Woodward |first3=Allan R. |last4=Leone |first4=Erin H. |last5=Carter |first5=Cameron |date=November 2016 |title=Determinate Growth and Reproductive Lifespan in the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis): Evidence from Long-term Recaptures |url=https://bioone.org/journals/copeia/volume-104/issue-4/CH-16-430/Determinate-Growth-and-Reproductive-Lifespan-in-the-American-Alligator-Alligator/10.1643/CH-16-430.full |journal=Copeia |volume=104 |issue=4 |pages=843-852 |doi=10.1643/CH-16-430|url-access=subscription }}</ref> One of the oldest recorded alligator lives was that of [[Saturn (alligator)|Saturn]], an American alligator who was hatched in 1936 in Mississippi and spent nearly a decade in Germany before spending the majority of his life at the [[Moscow Zoo]], where he died at the age of 83 or 84 on 22 May 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|date=23 May 2020|title=Berlin WW2 bombing survivor Saturn the alligator dies in Moscow Zoo|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52784240|access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=2020-07-16 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzg631YniOw |title=Hitler's Alligator - The Last German Prisoner of War in Russia |publisher=[[Mark Felton Productions]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2021-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614145523/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzg631YniOw |archive-date=2021-06-14 |url-status=live}}</ref> Another one of the oldest lives on record is that of [[Muja (alligator)|Muja]], an American alligator who was brought as an adult specimen to the [[Belgrade Zoo]] in [[Serbia]] from [[Germany]] in 1937. Although no valid records exist about his date of birth, as of 2012, he was in his 80s and possibly the oldest alligator living in captivity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.b92.net/zivot/vesti.php?yyyy=2011&mm=09&dd=07&nav_id=540286|title=Oldest alligator in the world |date=9 July 2011 |publisher=b92.net |access-date=2012-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=15 August 2018|title=Muja the alligator still alive and snapping in his 80s at Belgrade Zoo|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-serbia-aligator/muja-the-alligator-still-alive-and-snapping-in-his-80s-at-belgrade-zoo-idUSKBN1L014T|access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref>

== Habitat ==
{{Multiple image
| direction = horizontal
| align = top
| header = ''A. mississippiensis''
| width1 = 220
| image1 = Alligator mississippiensis - Oasis Park - 13.jpg
| caption1 = Head
| width2 = 220
| image2 = Alligator mississippiensis - Oasis Park - 12.jpg
| caption2 = Eye
}}
Alligators are native only to the [[United States]] and [[China]].<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Elsey, R. |author2=Woodward, A. |author3=Balaguera-Reina, S.A. |year=2019 |title=''Alligator mississippiensis'' |page=e.T46583A3009637 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T46583A3009637.en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite iucn |author=Jiang, H. |author2=Wu, X. |year=2018 |title=''Alligator sinensis'' |page=e.T867A3146005 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T867A3146005.en}}</ref>

American alligators are found in the [[southeast United States]]: all of [[Florida]] and [[Louisiana]]; the southern parts of [[Georgia (US state)|Georgia]], [[Alabama]], and [[Mississippi]]; coastal [[South Carolina|South]] and [[North Carolina]]; [[East Texas]], the southeast corner of [[Oklahoma]], and the southern tip of [[Arkansas]]. Louisiana has the largest alligator population.<ref>2005 Scholastic Book of World Records</ref> The majority of American alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana, with over a million alligators in each state. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and [[crocodile]]s live side by side.<ref>"Trappers catch crocodile in Lake Tarpon", Tampa Bay Times, July 12, 2013</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://srelherp.uga.edu/alligators/allmis.htm|title=Species Profile: American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) – SREL Herpetology|work=uga.edu|access-date=17 November 2015}}</ref> 

American alligators live in [[freshwater]] environments, such as [[pond]]s, [[marsh]]es, [[wetland]]s, [[river]]s, [[lake]]s, and [[swamp]]s, as well as in [[brackish water]].<ref name="Dundee, H. A. 1989">Dundee, H. A., and D. A. Rossman. 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.</ref> When they construct alligator holes in the wetlands, they increase plant diversity and provide habitat for other animals during droughts.<ref>Craighead, F. C., Sr. (1968). The role of the alligator in shaping plant communities and maintaining wildlife in the southern Everglades. The Florida Naturalist, 41, 2–7, 69–74.</ref> They are, therefore, considered an important species for maintaining ecological diversity in wetlands.<ref>Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Chapter 4.</ref> Farther west, in Louisiana, heavy grazing by [[nutria]]s and [[muskrat]]s is causing severe damage to coastal wetlands. Large alligators feed extensively on nutrias, and provide a vital ecological service by reducing nutria numbers.<ref name=Keddy2009/>

The Chinese alligator currently is found in only the [[Yangtze River]] valley and parts of adjacent provinces<ref name=":0" /> and is extremely endangered, with only a few dozen believed to be left in the wild. Far more Chinese alligators live in zoos around the world than can be found in the wild. Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in southern Louisiana has several in captivity in an attempt to preserve the species. [[Zoo Miami|Miami MetroZoo]] in Florida also has a breeding pair of Chinese alligators.

== Behavior ==
{{listen
 | header = '''Alligator vocalisations'''
 | filename     = Alligatorbellowedit.ogg
 | title        = Alligator Bellow (sound)
 | description  = Alligator [[Bellow (sound)|bellow]], [[ogg]]/[[Vorbis]] format.
 | format       = [[Vorbis]]
 | filename2    = 27alligator2bellow.ogg
 | title2       = Another alligator bellow
 | description2 = Alligator bellow, [[ogg]]/[[Vorbis]] format.
 | format2      = [[Vorbis]]
 | filename3    = alligatorhiss.ogg
 | title3       = Alligator hiss
 | description3 = Alligator hiss [[ogg]]/[[Vorbis]] format.
 | format3      = [[Vorbis]]
}}
[[File:Florida_alligator_(7143519441).jpg|thumb|"High walk" of an alligator]]

Large male alligators are [[wikt:solitary|solitary]] [[territory (animal)|territorial]] animals. Smaller alligators can often be found in large numbers close to each other. The largest of the species (both males and females) defend prime territory; smaller alligators have a higher tolerance for other alligators within a similar size class.

Alligators move on land by two forms of locomotion, referred to as "sprawl" and "high walk". The sprawl is a forward movement with the belly making contact with the ground and is used to transition to "high walk" or to slither over wet substrate into water. The high walk is an up-on-four-limbs forward motion used for overland travel with the belly well up from the ground.<ref>Reilly & Elias, [http://jeb.biologists.org/content/201/18/2559.full.pdf Locomotion In Alligator Mississippiensis: Kinematic Effects Of Speed And Posture and Their Relevance To The Sprawling-to-Erect Paradigm] The Journal of Experimental Biology 201, 2559–2574 (1998)</ref> Alligators have also been observed to rise up and balance on their hind legs and semi-step forward as part of a forward or upward lunge. However, they can not walk on their hind legs.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=2007-09-20 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVAolEiBXlk |title=Alligator Leap |publisher=Zooguy2 |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2021-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710141804/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVAolEiBXlk |archive-date=2021-07-10 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2008-01-17|title=Answers to Some Nagging Questions|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |language=en-US|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011603763.html|access-date=2023-02-10|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=2014-08-17 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeHM2d6lEVk  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/GeHM2d6lEVk| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Alligator Attacks White Ibis Chick & Jumps Vertically at Pinckney Island |publisher=Karen Marts |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2021-09-07}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Although the alligator has a heavy body and a slow [[metabolism]], it is capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals they can kill and eat with a single bite. They may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it into the water to drown. Alligators consume food that cannot be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot or by biting and then performing a "death roll", spinning or convulsing wildly until bite-sized chunks are torn off. Critical to the alligator's ability to initiate a death roll, the tail must flex to a significant angle relative to its body. An alligator with an immobilized tail cannot perform a death roll.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Fish | first = Frank E. | author2 = Bostic, Sandra A. | author3 = Nicastro, Anthony J. | author4 = Beneski, John T. | title = Death roll of the alligator: mechanics of twist feeding in water | journal = [[The Journal of Experimental Biology]] | volume = 210 | issue = 16 | pages = 2811–2818 | year = 2007 | doi = 10.1242/jeb.004267 | pmid = 17690228 | s2cid = 8402869 | doi-access =  }}</ref>

Most of the muscle in an alligator's jaw evolved to bite and grip prey. The muscles that close the jaws are powerful, but the muscles for opening their jaws are weak. As a result, an adult human can hold an alligator's jaws shut bare-handed. It is common to use several wraps of [[duct tape]] to prevent an adult alligator from opening its jaws when being handled or transported.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Crocodilian Captive Care FAQ (Caiman, Alligator, Crocodile)|url=http://crocodilian.com/crocfaq/faq-3.html|access-date=2023-02-10|website=crocodilian.com}}</ref>

Alligators are generally timid towards humans and tend to walk or swim away if one approaches. This may encourage people to approach alligators and their nests, which can provoke the animals into attacking. In Florida, feeding wild alligators at any time is illegal. If fed, the alligators will eventually lose their fear of humans and will learn to associate humans with food.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.myfwc.com/CONSERVATION/ConservationYou_Living_w_Wildlife_alligators.htm |title=Living ''with'' Alligators |access-date=2009-03-05 |archive-date=2010-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126120647/http://myfwc.com/CONSERVATION/ConservationYou_Living_w_Wildlife_alligators.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Diet ==
[[File:Alligator_with_large_Florida_Softshell_Turtle_-_Flickr_-_Andrea_Westmoreland.jpg|thumb|Alligator feeding on a [[Florida softshell turtle]]]]
The type of food eaten by alligators depends upon their age and size. When they are young, alligators eat [[fish]], [[Insect|insects]], [[snail]]s, [[crustacean]]s, and [[worm]]s. As they mature, progressively larger prey is taken, including larger fish, such as [[gar]], [[Turtle|turtles]], and various mammals, particularly [[nutria]]s and [[Muskrat|muskrats]],<ref name="Dundee, H. A. 1989" /> as well as birds, [[deer]], and other reptiles.<ref>Wolfe, J. L., D. K. Bradshaw, and R. H. Chabreck. 1987. Alligator feeding habits: New data and a review. Northeast Gulf Science 9: 1–8.</ref><ref>Gabrey, S. W. 2005. Impacts of the coypu removal program on the diet of American alligators (''Alligator mississippiensis'') in south Louisiana. Report to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, New Orleans.</ref> Their stomachs also often contain [[gastrolith|gizzard stones]]. They will even consume [[carrion]] if they are sufficiently hungry. In some cases, larger alligators are known to ambush dogs, [[Florida panther]]s, and [[Florida black bear|black bears]], making them the [[apex predator]] throughout their distribution. In this role as a top predator, it may determine the abundance of prey species, including turtles and nutrias.<ref>Bondavalli, C., and R. E. Ulanowicz. 1998. Unexpected effects of predators upon their prey: The case of the American alligator. Ecosystems 2: 49–63.</ref><ref name=Keddy2009/> As humans encroach into their habitat, attacks are few but not unknown. Alligators, [[Crocodile attack|unlike the large crocodiles]], do not immediately regard a human upon encounter as prey, but may still attack in self-defense if provoked.

==Reproduction==
{{Multiple image
| direction = vertical
| align = right
| caption_align = center
| width = 220
| header = Different stages of alligator life-cycle
| image1 = Alligator embryo - Zoological Museum MSU.jpg
| caption1 = Embryo
| image2 = Alligator eggs and young alligators.jpg
| caption2 = Eggs and young
| image3 = Alligator mississippiensis babies.jpg
| caption3 = Juveniles
| image4 = Crocnest.JPG
| caption4 = An adult with juveniles of various ages
}}

Alligators generally mature at a length of {{Convert|6|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}}. The mating season is in late spring. In April and May, alligators form so-called "bellowing choruses". Large groups of animals bellow together for a few minutes a few times a day, usually one to three hours after sunrise. The bellows of male American alligators are accompanied by powerful blasts of [[infrasound]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/can-animals-predict-disaster/listening-to-infrasound/133/ |title=Can Animals Predict Disaster? – Listening to Infrasound &#124; Nature |publisher=PBS |date=2004-12-26 |access-date=2013-11-27}}</ref> Another form of male display is a loud head-slap.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Garrick, L. D.  |author2=Lang, J. W. | year = 1977 | title = Social Displays of the American Alligator| journal =[[American Zoologist]] |volume=17 | pages = 225–239|doi=10.1093/icb/17.1.225 |doi-access=free }}</ref> In 2010, on spring nights alligators were found to gather in large numbers for group courtship, the so-called "alligator dances".<ref>{{cite journal | author=Dinets, V. | year = 2010 | title = Nocturnal behavior of the American Alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis'') in the wild during the mating season| journal = [[Herpetological Bulletin]] |volume=111 |pages=4–11 |url=http://dinets.info/HB%20111%20Dinets%202010.pdf }}</ref>

In summer, the female builds a nest of vegetation where the decomposition of the vegetation provides the heat needed to incubate the eggs. The sex of the offspring is [[Temperature-dependent sex determination|determined by the temperature]] in the nest and is fixed within seven to 21 days of the start of incubation. Incubation temperatures of {{convert|86|F|order=flip}} or lower produce a clutch of females; those of {{convert|93|F|order=flip}} or higher produce entirely males. Nests constructed on leaves are hotter than those constructed on wet marsh, so the former tend to produce males and the latter, females. The baby alligator's [[egg tooth]] helps it get out of its egg during hatching time. The natural sex ratio at hatching is five females to one male. Females hatched from eggs incubated at {{convert|86|F|order=flip}} weigh significantly more than males hatched from eggs incubated at {{convert|93|F|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Mark W. J. Ferguson |author2=Ted Joanen |year=1982 |title=Temperature of egg incubation determines sex in ''Alligator mississippiensis'' |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=296 |issue=5860 |pages=850–853 |doi=10.1038/296850a0 |pmid=7070524|bibcode=1982Natur.296..850F |s2cid=4307265 }}</ref> The mother defends the nest from predators and assists the hatchlings to water. She will provide protection to the young for about a year if they remain in the area. Adult alligators regularly cannibalize younger individuals, though estimates of the rate of cannibalism vary widely.<ref>{{cite journal|jstor=3892690|title=Cannibalism in the American Alligator|first1=William L.|last1=Rootes|first2=Robert H.|last2=Chabreck|date=30 September 1993|journal=Herpetologica|volume=49|issue=1|pages=99–107}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Mortality of American Alligators Attributed to Cannibalism|first1=Michael F|last1=Delany|first2=Allan R|last2=Woodward|first3=Richard A|last3=Kiltie|first4=Clinton T|last4=Moore|date=20 May 2011|journal=Herpetologica|volume=67|issue=2|pages=174–185|doi=10.1655/herpetologica-d-10-00040.1|s2cid=85198798|doi-access=free}}</ref> In the past, immediately following the outlawing of alligator [[hunting]], populations rebounded quickly due to the suppressed number of adults preying upon juveniles, increasing survival among the young alligators.{{Citation needed|reason=apparent non sequitur|date=August 2017}}

== Anatomy ==
[[File:Albino Alligator in Water.jpg|thumb|right|A rare albino alligator swimming]]
Alligators, much like birds, have been shown to exhibit unidirectional movement of air through their lungs.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Farmer, C. G. |author2=Sanders, K. |date=January 2010 | title = Unidirectional Airflow in the Lungs of Alligators| journal =[[Science (journal)|Science]] | volume = 327 |issue=5963 |pages=338–340 | url = http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/327/5963/338 | pmid=20075253 | doi=10.1126/science.1180219|bibcode=2010Sci...327..338F |s2cid=206522844 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Most other [[amniote]]s are believed to exhibit bidirectional, or tidal breathing. For a tidal breathing animal, such as a mammal, air flows into and out of the lungs through branching [[bronchi]] which terminate in small dead-end chambers called [[Pulmonary alveolus|alveoli]]. As the alveoli represent dead-ends to flow, the inspired air must move back out the same way it came in. In contrast, air in alligator lungs makes a circuit, moving in only one direction through the [[parabronchi]]. The air first enters the outer branch, moves through the parabronchi, and exits the lung through the inner branch. Oxygen exchange takes place in extensive vasculature around the parabronchi.<ref>Science News; February 13, 2010; Page 11</ref>

The alligator has a similar digestive system to that of the [[crocodile]], with minor differences in morphology and enzyme activity.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Tracy|first1=Christopher R.|last2=McWhorter|first2=Todd J.|last3=Gienger|first3=C. M.|last4=Starck|first4=J. Matthias|last5=Medley|first5=Peter|last6=Manolis|first6=S. Charlie|last7=Webb|first7=Grahame J. W.|last8=Christian|first8=Keith A.|date=2015-12-01|title=Alligators and Crocodiles Have High Paracellular Absorption of Nutrients, But Differ in Digestive Morphology and Physiology|url=https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/55/6/986/2363554|journal=Integrative and Comparative Biology|language=en|volume=55|issue=6|pages=986–1004|doi=10.1093/icb/icv060|pmid=26060211|issn=1540-7063|doi-access=free|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Alligators have a two-part stomach, with the first smaller portion containing [[Gastrolith|gastroliths]]. It is believed this portion of the stomach serves a similar function as it does in the gizzard of some species of birds, to aid in digestion. The gastroliths work to grind up the meal as alligators will take large bites or swallow smaller prey whole. This process makes digestion and nutrient absorption easier once the food reaches the second portion of the stomach.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Romão|first1=Mariluce Ferreira|last2=Santos|first2=André Luiz Quagliatto|last3=Lima|first3=Fabiano Campos|last4=De Simone|first4=Simone Salgueiro|last5=Silva|first5=Juliana Macedo Magnino|last6=Hirano|first6=Líria Queiroz|last7=Vieira|first7=Lucélia Gonçalves|last8=Pinto|first8=José Guilherme Souza|date=March 2011|title=Anatomical and Topographical Description of the Digestive System of Caiman crocodilus (Linnaeus 1758), Melanosuchus niger (Spix 1825) and Paleosuchus palpebrosus (Cuvier 1807)|journal=International Journal of Morphology|volume=29|issue=1|pages=94–99|doi=10.4067/s0717-95022011000100016|issn=0717-9502|doi-access=free}}</ref> Once an alligator's meal has been processed it will move on to the second portion of the stomach which is highly acidic. The acidity of the stomach has been observed to increase once digestion begins. This is due to the increase in [[Carbon dioxide|CO<sub>2</sub>]] concentration of the blood, resulting from the right to left shunting of the alligators heart. The right to left shunt of the heart in alligators means the circulatory system will recirculate blood through the body instead of back to the lungs.<ref name=":03">{{Cite journal|last1=Malte|first1=Christian Lind|last2=Malte|first2=Hans|last3=Reinholdt|first3=Lærke Rønlev|last4=Findsen|first4=Anders|last5=Hicks|first5=James W.|last6=Wang|first6=Tobias|date=2017-02-15|title=Right-to-left shunt has modest effects on CO 2 delivery to the gut during digestion, but compromises oxygen delivery|journal=The Journal of Experimental Biology|language=en|volume=220|issue=4|pages=531–536|doi=10.1242/jeb.149625|pmid=27980124|s2cid=760441|issn=0022-0949|doi-access=free}}</ref> The re-circulation of blood leads to higher CO<sub>2</sub> concentration as well as lower oxygen affinity.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Busk|first1=M.|last2=Overgaard|first2=J.|last3=Hicks|first3=J. W.|last4=Bennett|first4=A. F.|last5=Wang|first5=T.|date=October 2000|title=Effects of feeding on arterial blood gases in the American alligator Alligator mississippiensis|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11003822|journal=The Journal of Experimental Biology|volume=203|issue=Pt 20|pages=3117–3124|doi=10.1242/jeb.203.20.3117|issn=0022-0949|pmid=11003822}}</ref> There is evidence to suggest that there is increased blood flow diverted to the stomach during digestion to facilitate an increase in CO<sub>2</sub> concentration which aids in increasing gastric acid secretions during digestion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Findsen|first1=Anders|last2=Crossley|first2=Dane A.|last3=Wang|first3=Tobias|date=2018-01-01|title=Feeding alters blood flow patterns in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1095643317302088|journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology|language=en|volume=215|pages=1–5|doi=10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.09.001|pmid=28958765|issn=1095-6433|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":03" /> The alligator's metabolism will also increase after a meal by up to four times its basal metabolic rate.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kay|first1=Jarren C.|last2=Elsey|first2=Ruth M.|last3=Secor|first3=Stephen M.|date=2020-05-01|title=Modest Regulation of Digestive Performance Is Maintained through Early Ontogeny for the American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis|url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/709443|journal=Physiological and Biochemical Zoology|volume=93|issue=4|pages=320–338|doi=10.1086/709443|pmid=32492358|s2cid=219057993|issn=1522-2152|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Alligators also have highly folded mucosa in the lining of the intestines to further aid in the absorption of nutrients. The folds result in greater surface area for the nutrients to be absorbed through.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Keenan|first1=S. W.|last2=Elsey|first2=R. M.|date=2015-04-17|title=The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown: Microbial Symbioses of the American Alligator|journal=Integrative and Comparative Biology|volume=55|issue=6|pages=972–985|doi=10.1093/icb/icv006|pmid=25888944|issn=1540-7063|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Alligators also have complex [[Microbiome|microbiomes]] that are not fully understood yet, but can be attributed to both benefits and costs to the animal. These microorganisms can be found in the high surface area of the mucosa folds of the intestines, as well as throughout the digestive tract. Benefits include better total health and stronger immune system. However alligators are still vulnerable to microbial infections despite the immune boost from other microbiota.<ref name=":1" />

During [[brumation]] the process of digestion experiences changes due to the fasting most alligators experience during these periods of inactivity. Alligators that go long enough without a meal during brumation will begin a process called [[autophagy]], where the animal begins to consume its fat reserves to maintain its body weight until it can acquire a sufficient meal.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hale|first1=Amber|last2=Merchant|first2=Mark|last3=White|first3=Mary|date=May 2020|title=Detection and analysis of autophagy in the American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis )|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jez.b.22936|journal=Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution|language=en|volume=334|issue=3|pages=192–207|doi=10.1002/jez.b.22936|pmid=32061056|bibcode=2020JEZB..334..192H |s2cid=211122872 |issn=1552-5007|url-access=subscription}}</ref> There is also fluctuation in the level of bacterial taxa populations in the alligator's microbial community between seasons which helps the alligator cope with different rates of feeding and activity.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Tang|first1=Ke-Yi|last2=Wang|first2=Zhen-Wei|last3=Wan|first3=Qiu-Hong|last4=Fang|first4=Sheng-Guo|date=2019|title=Metagenomics Reveals Seasonal Functional Adaptation of the Gut Microbiome to Host Feeding and Fasting in the Chinese Alligator|journal=Frontiers in Microbiology|language=English|volume=10|page=2409|doi=10.3389/fmicb.2019.02409|issn=1664-302X|pmc=6824212|pmid=31708889|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Like other crocodilians, alligators have an [[Crocodilian armor|armor]] of bony scutes. The dermal bones are highly vascularised and aid in calcium balance, both to neutralize acids while the animal cannot breathe underwater<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wednesday|first=25 April 2012 Anna SallehABC|date=2012-04-25|title=Antacid armour key to tetrapod survival|url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/04/25/3488040.htm|access-date=2020-07-26|website=www.abc.net.au|language=en-AU}}</ref> and to provide calcium for eggshell formation.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last1=Dacke|first1=C.|last2=Elsey|first2=R.|last3=Trosclair|first3=P.|last4=Sugiyama|first4=T.|last5=Nevarez|first5=Javier|last6=Schweitzer|first6=Mary|date=2015-09-01|title=Alligator osteoderms as a source of labile calcium for eggshell formation|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280973901|journal=Journal of Zoology|volume=297|issue=4|pages=255–264|doi=10.1111/jzo.12272}}</ref>

Alligators have muscular, flat tails that propel them while swimming.

The two kinds of white alligators are [[albino]] and [[Leucism|leucistic]]. These alligators are practically impossible to find in the wild. They could survive only in captivity and are few in number.<ref name="albino">{{cite news|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/White-albino-alligators-54575.shtml|title=White albino alligators |newspaper=Softpedia |publisher=softpedia.com |access-date=2008-10-27|last1=Anitei |first1=Stefan }}</ref><ref name="leucistic">{{cite web|url=http://www.auduboninstitute.org/visit/aquarium/fun-favorites/mississippi-river-gallery|title=Mississippi River Gallery}}</ref> The [[Aquarium of the Americas]] in [[New Orleans]] has leucistic alligators found in a Louisiana swamp in 1987.<ref name="leucistic" />

==Human uses==
{{Main|Alligator farm|Alligator meat|Alligator leather}}
[[File:Los Angeles Alligator Farm (ca. 1907) 02.jpg|thumb|Edward H. Mitchell, "The Joy Ride" at the California Alligator Farm, Los Angeles, California, {{Circa|1910s}}]]
Alligators are raised commercially for their meat and their skin, which when [[Tanning (leather)|tanned]] is used for the manufacture of [[Baggage|luggage]], [[handbag]]s, shoes, [[Belt (clothing)|belt]]s, and other leather items. Alligators also provide economic benefits through the ecotourism industry. Visitors may take swamp tours, in which alligators are a feature. Their most important economic benefit to humans may be the control of [[nutria]]s and [[muskrat]]s.<ref name=Keddy2009>Keddy PA, Gough L, Nyman JA, McFalls T, Carter J, Siegnist J (2009). "Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: a trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses". pp. 115–133. '''''In'':''' Silliman BR, Grosholz ED, Bertness MD (editors) (2009). ''Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective''. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.</ref>

[[Alligator meat]] is also consumed by humans.<ref>{{cite book|author=International Food Information Service|title=IFIS Dictionary of Food Science and Technology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=akYLOTMdCSEC&pg=PA15|year=2009|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-8740-4|page=15}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Martin, Roy E.|author2=Carter, Emily Paine|author3=Flick, George J. Jr.|author4=Davis, Lynn M.|title=Marine and Freshwater Products Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OFKLk3S0fzgC&pg=PA277|year=2000|publisher=Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press|isbn=978-1-56676-889-4|page=277}}</ref>

== Differences from crocodiles ==
While there are [[rule of thumb|rules of thumb]] for distinguishing alligators from crocodiles, all of them admit exceptions. Such general rules include:

*''Exposed vs. interdigitated teeth'': The easiest way to distinguish crocodiles from alligators is by looking at their jaw line. The teeth on the lower jaw of an alligator fit into sockets in the upper jaw, leaving only the upper teeth visible when the mouth is closed. The teeth on the lower jaw of a crocodile fit into grooves on the outside of the top jaw, making both the upper and lower teeth visible when the mouth is closed, thus creating a "toothy grin".<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs">{{cite web|last1=Britton|first1=Adam|title=FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: What's the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?|url=http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/cbd-faq-q1.htm|website=Crocodilian Biology Database|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-date=11 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011223513/http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/cbd-faq-q1.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*''Shape of the nose and jaw'': Alligators have wider, shovel-like, U-shaped snouts, while crocodile snouts are typically more pointed or V-shaped. The alligators' broader snouts have been contentiously thought to allow their jaws to withstand the stress of cracking open the shells of turtles and other hard-shelled animals that are widespread in their environments.<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs"/><ref name=Grigg2015>{{cite book |title=Biology and Evolution of Crocodylians |url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/7185.htm |author1=Grigg, Gordon |author2=Kirshner, David |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |year=2015 |isbn=9781486300662}}</ref> A 2012 study found very little correlation between bite force and snout shape amongst 23 tested crocodilian species.<ref name=bite>{{cite journal| author=Erickson, G. M.| author2=Gignac, P. M.| author3=Steppan, S. J.| author4=Lappin, A. K.| author5=Vliet, K. A.| author6=Brueggen, J. A.| author7=Inouye, B. D.| author8=Kledzik, D.| author9=Webb, G. J. W. | year=2012 | title=Insights into the ecology and evolutionary success of crocodilians revealed through bite-force and tooth-pressure experimentation | journal=PLOS ONE | volume=7 |issue=3 |page=e31781 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0031781|editor1-last=Claessens|editor1-first=Leon|bibcode = 2012PLoSO...731781E | pmid=22431965 | pmc=3303775| doi-access=free}}</ref>
* ''Functioning salt glands'': Crocodilians have modified [[salivary gland]]s called [[salt gland]]s on their tongues, but while these organs still excrete salt in crocodiles and [[gharial]]s, those in most alligators and caimans have lost this ability, or excrete it in only extremely small quantities.<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs"/> The ability to excrete excess salt allows crocodiles to better tolerate life in saline water and migrating through it.<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs"/> Because alligators and caimans have lost this ability, they are largely restricted to freshwater habitats, although larger alligators do sometimes live in [[tide|tidal]] [[mangrove]]s and in very rare cases in coastal areas.<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs"/>
* ''Integumentary sense organs'': Both crocodiles and alligators have small, pit-like sensory organs called integumentary sense organs (ISOs) or dermal pressure receptors (DPRs) surrounding their upper and lower jaws.<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs"/> These organs allow crocodilians to detect minor pressure changes in surrounding water, and assist them in locating and capturing prey. In crocodiles, however, such organs extend over nearly the entire body.<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs"/> Crocodile ISOs may also assist in detection of local salinity, or serve other [[chemosensory]] functions.<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs"/>
* ''Less consistent differences'': Crocodiles are generally thought of as more aggressive than alligators.<ref name="CrocDatabaseGatorsVsCrocs"/> Only six of the 23 crocodilian species are considered dangerous to adult human beings, most notably the [[Nile crocodile]] and [[saltwater crocodile]]. Each year, hundreds of deadly attacks are attributed to the Nile crocodile in sub-Saharan Africa. The [[American crocodile]] is considered to be less aggressive. Only a few (unverified) cases of American crocodiles fatally attacking humans have been reported.<ref name="AmerCroc">{{cite web|last1=Pinou|first1=Theodora|title=American Crocodile: Species Description|url=http://people.wcsu.edu/pinout/herpetology/cacutus/#Species%20Description|website=Yale EEB Herpetology Web Page|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-date=23 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523154715/http://people.wcsu.edu/pinout/herpetology/cacutus/#Species%20Description|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Image gallery of extant species ==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">

File:Florida-Everglades National Park-3.jpg|Alligator in the [[Everglades National Park]]
File:Alligator Canberra Zoo.jpg|Alligator in the [[National Zoo & Aquarium|Canberra Zoo in Australia]]
File:Gator in Lousiana bayou swim.jpg|Gator in Louisiana bayou swims
File:Gator in Lousiana bayou eats.jpg|Gator in Louisiana bayou eats
File:Juvenile alligator II.jpg|Juvenile alligator found in Everglades National Park
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Reptiles}}
* [[Alligator farm]]
* [[Caiman]]
* [[Gharial]]
* [[List of fatal alligator attacks in the United States by decade]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|alligator}}
{{Wikiquote|Alligators}}
* [http://www.crocodilian.com/ Crocodilian Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708204615/http://www.crocodilian.com/ |date=2011-07-08 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080604131646/http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/photo_exhibits/alligators/ Photo exhibit on alligators in Florida]; made available by the [[State Archives of Florida]]
* [http://floridamemory.com/audio/podcast-single.php?id=12 Interview with a Seminole alligator wrestler]; made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida

{{Crocodilia|A.}}
{{Extinct Crocodilia|A.}}
{{Crocs}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q530397}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Alligator| ]]
[[Category:Alligatorinae]]
[[Category:Extant Oligocene first appearances]]
[[Category:Reptile genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Georges Cuvier]]