The alligator is one of the most famous predators in the Florida Everglades. People know the animal makes its home in the state. Despite its popularity, many people don’t know much about it. This article will explain what are gators and other important information about them.
What is an Alligator?
Alligator comes from “el Lagarto,” the Spanish word for lizard. Taxonomy-wise, the alligator belongs to the genus Crocodylia in the family Alligatoridae. There are two alligator species, the American and Chinese. The alligator scientific name for the American alligator is Alligator mississippiensis. Meanwhile, the Chinese gator is Alligator sinensis.
The crocodile also belongs to the Crocodylia genus. The two species have similar characteristics even though they belong to different families. It’s why most people have trouble distinguishing one from the other.
What do alligators look like? They have a strong, armored body with a muscular tail. The skin on their back is full of scutes or osteoderms. These are bony plates embedded on its dermis that look like armor. They also have four short legs. A gator’s front legs have five toes while the back ones have four.
Alligators are darker in color compared to crocodiles. They also have a wider, rounded snout. The snout has upward-facing nostrils that let the animal breathe even if its body is under the water.
One way to know if you’re looking at an alligator or a crocodile is to check its mouth. Crocodiles have the fourth teeth on both sides of their snout exposed. An alligator can close its mouth in full. This means there are no teeth protruding. The gator’s fourth teeth on the lower jaw fit into sockets found on the upper jaw.
Fun fact: The alligator can have anywhere from 74 to 80 teeth at any time. Each tooth will become replaced as it wears down. The gator can go through 3,000 teeth in its entire life.
Where Do American Alligators Live?
American alligators live in the southeastern United States. You can find them in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. But Gainesville has the biggest population of these reptiles. There are around five million American gators in the US. A quarter of that population is in Florida. It’s why the alligator has become a kind of mascot for the state.
Gators prefer to live in either brackish or freshwater habitats. They feel right at home in lakes, rivers, swamps, and marshes. Their croc cousin’s found in a lot more countries. You can find crocodiles in North, South, and Central America. They’re also found in Africa, Australia, and Asia. It’s only in Southern Florida that you can find both crocs and gators.
How Big Can Alligators Get?
Alligators can reach an average length of 13 feet and weigh up to 800 pounds. That’s a lot of muscle, sinew, and teeth. Female gators are often smaller than males. The average male gator can reach 11.2 feet or 3.4 meters. The female is around 8.2 feet or 2.6 meters. The Everglades National Park recorded the largest alligator at 17 feet, 5 inches.
What’s more interesting is you can’t tell a male alligator from a female one. That means size is not a reliable indicator of alligator sex. The only way you can tell its gender is by internal examination.
What Do Alligators Eat?
They eat meat and a lot of it. Alligators are carnivores. Their massive, strong jaws can crack even a turtle’s shell. They will feed on snails, fish, and other invertebrates. They’ll also eat frogs, birds, and mammals they can reach.
There are a lot of videos of gators and crocodiles pulling down large birds and even zebras in the water. Their teeth are so sharp they can catch and hold on to their prey without problems. Alligators can swallow their prey whole if it’s small enough. For large prey, they will shake it until it breaks into manageable pieces. They will also bite and spin their large prey around. The process will tear off chunks of meat that they can then swallow.
How Fast Do Alligators Swim?
Have you ever wondered how fast an alligator can go? It’s surprising but this animal can put on a lot of speed. Alligators can hit a speed of 20 mph in the water. That’s faster than the bottlenose dolphin. They have a lot of stamina underwater. They’re also aided by their powerful tail.
What about out of water? How fast are alligators on land? It’s amazing that they can reach a top speed of 35 mph on land. Their speed will become affected by factors like the weather and the terrain. They can cover short distances but have problems when chasing their prey for a long distance.
Do Alligators Lay Eggs?
Yes, they do. The mating season for gators lasts from April to May. You have to be extra careful around them during this time as they’re more aggressive. Female gators will lay anywhere from 20 to 50 eggs. These will incubate for 60 to 65 days. The nest’s temperature will determine the sex of the embryos. A temperature of 86 degrees will produce females. Higher temperatures will produce males.
Once hatched, the young will stay with their mother for almost two years. Like other species, female gators are very protective of their eggs and young.
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