American Alligator

Alligator mississipiensis The American Alligator was observed in almost every location that we visited in the Everglades National Park. These locations include Eco Pond, Cypress Forests, Anhinga trail, and on Gumbo Limbo trail. Within these habitats, the Alligator was found swimming in freshwater ponds and laying out on the banks.

3-13-20-04 Photographed by: Steve Kempton and Grigoriy Arutyunyan

Behavior Page

Organisms / Vertebrates / American Alligator

Descriptive Information

Field marks: The American Alligator has a color ranging from deep black when they are young, faded charcoal black when they are adults, and brown in color when they are dirty. When born, each baby alligator also has yellow stripes down its body. These markings of youth will disappear as the baby gators mature. Once mature, the Alligator skin texture appears to be leathery and scaly. The dorsal (back) side of the adult gator consists of rows of raised scales. The neck of the Alligator is very thick and the head and jaw is lizard-like. The eyes seem to be similar to cat eyes consisting of a thin oval line running from the top of the sclera to the bottom. The gator feet are webbed and each consists of a sharp toenail. The nostrils are located on the top and at the end of the long Alligator snout. Furthermore, when the Alligator mouth is closed, its front teeth are visible.

Size: A variety of Alligators were observed through the course of this Everglades Adventure. The following are a range of sizes:
- Baby Alligator- 1- 1.5 feet
- Alligator Youth- 1.5-3.5 feet
- Adult Length- 4-12 feet
- Tail to Body Ratio- 3/8

General Habitat: The general Habitat for the American Alligator includes ponds, swamps, rivers, freshwater and brackish marshes, mangroves, and canals.

Geographic range: The American Alligator's habitat extends from North Carolina down to southern Florida and then as far west as Texas. Other states which are inhabited by the alligator include Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

Personal Observations: Upon entering the Everglades National Park the thought of catching or even getting close to an Alligator was overwhelming. After visiting Eco Pond the first day there, our minds drastically changed. The American Alligator is a creature that demands respect with the look of its eye. At Eco Pond, the Alligator observed was laying in the sun on the side of the pond underneath tall grass. This type of behavior seemed to be very common for all of the Alligators that were observed. In fact, out of about 65 Alligators seen in total during the 10 day trip, the majority were laying out in the sun. This type of behavior is quite understandable noting the fact that the American Alligator is a reptile and cold blooded. The sunlight helps to regulate body temperature and therefore sustain internal homeostasis. Furthermore, it was observed on Anhinga Trail that Alligators conjugate and even may lay on top of each other to maximize their sun exposure. When not bathing in the sun, usually the American Alligator can be seen swimming. With their precise buoyancy regulation, a gator can swim on the surface of the water or completely underwater. From observations taken at Anhinga Trial, we concluded that their style of swimming uses the side-to-side motion of their massive tails and their feet are held tight to their body. When an Alligator is swimming it is either heading to open ground to bathe in the sun or it is on the hunt. When we were at Eco Pond, an Alligator was observed hunting a Common Moorhen. In its pursuit, the gator was very patient and observant. The movements that it made were subtle and stealth-like. The Alligator also had the ability to submerge itself with little to no effort and defiantly without stirring the surrounding water. When it came time to strike, the slow stealth movement turned into a burst of anaerobic power and the closing of the jaws could be heard from thirty feet away. Although unsuccessful at this attempt, the Alligator seemed to engrain a sense of fear in the eyes of all creatures within twenty feet. Alligators in the wild will usually feed on fish but are opportunistic which means that they will eat almost anything including birds, turtles, and even humans. The aggressive nature of the American Alligator is well known and should be respected. While at Anhinga Trail, two sightings of intraspecies fighting were observed. The first was seen when a larger 8-10 ft gator went after a young 2-3 ft gator. Although the attack was unsuccessful, aggression and fighting for authority was clearly visible. Also, near the end of our walk, an Alligator was observed that was not with the rest of the group. On itsÕ back, the leathery skin seemed to be chewed up and contain several laceration including one deep cut. Although we can not be exactly sure of the cause of these cuts, a good hypothesis is that they are the result of a fight with another alligator for territory or authority. If this educated guess is accurate, it would seem appropriate to say that the Alligator observed had lost the fight because it was outcast from the majority. On another note, we were lucky to observe four baby Alligators on Gumbo Limbo trail. With us being only 3-4 feet away from them, they felt threatened and began making a series of grunting noises. We later learned that these noises are a call to their mother to come and clear out any danger. This goes to show that communication is key to all species to ensure safety. The American Alligator is a creature that we learned to respect on our trip. When left alone and not bothered by human interactions, the Alligator better fills its shoes as the uncrowned king of the Everglades.

Works Cited: National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida (pg 296) FloridaÕs Fabulous Reptiles and Amphibians (pg 1-10)

(This page developed by: Grigoriy Arutyunyan and Steve Kempton)