The Alligator [Looking Deeper Into Our Mascot]

An alligator is a large crocodilian of the alligatoridae family. The three different types of alligators in the U.S. are the American Alligator, the Chinese Alligator, and The Greenwood Gator. They can be anywhere from 50-1,000 pounds and live in the southern U.S. from North Carolina to Texas. They are found in slow moving rivers, ponds, lakes, and swamps.

Alligators can be distinguished by their wide rounded snout. They are also distinguished by dark skin color and teeth that are visible even when their mouths are shut.

One of the biggest habitats for alligators is the Everglades National Park in Southern Florida. I have been kayaking in a river in Southern Florida called Silver Springs. On the trip I encountered a baby alligator resting on a log, and a very large adult alligator in the mud by the bank.

Female alligators make their nests in the mud and can lay over fifty eggs. After they lay the eggs, they cover them in mud and twigs for protection. The temperature of the nest actually determines the gender of the hatchlings. Females are produced at temperatures below 82.4 F, and males are produced at temperatures above 91.4 F. An even number of of both genders will hatch at the temperature of 87.8 F. The hatchlings can catch their own food as soon as they are born. American hatchlings are around 6 to 8 inches long. After about two years, they leave the mothers protection and wander off on their own. The American Alligator population is Thriving , but Chinese Alligators are critically endangered. There are fewer than 130 Chinese Alligators left in the wild.

Cool Facts About Alligators

The word [ Alligator] actually comes from a Spanish word that means ‘’The lizzard.’’
Alligators are lazy, they like to sit in the sun and sleep
Despite what people think, Alligators rarely attack people unless they are threatened.

The World’s Biggest Alligator was said to be 19 feet 2 inches long.