American alligators live about 50 years in the wild. After they are 4 feet long, alligators are safe from predators except humans and occasionally other alligators.
Once on the verge of extinction, the American alligator has made a remarkable recovery due to strict conservation measures and extensive research. It is no longer endangered except in scattered areas of its range. However, the federal government lists it as threatened because it is very similar in appearance to the American crocodile.
Because the American crocodile is endangered, the government does not want hunters to confuse the two different types of animals. Hunting is allowed in some states but it is strictly controlled. The greatest threat is currently destruction of habitat; this includes water management systems and increased levels of mercury and dioxins in the water. Since alligators can become large and will feed on almost anything, they pose a mild threat to humans. In Florida, where there is the greatest alligator population, there have been several reported deaths due to alligator attacks in recent years and human-alligator conflicts are common.
Dogs and other pets are also sometimes killed. Alligators are hunted mostly for their skin, but also they are hunted for their meat. Today, there is a multi-million dollar industry in which alligators are raised for the production of their meat and skin.
Also, alligators are a tourist attraction, especially in Florida, where visitors enjoy nature tours to view and occasionally feed them. Skip to main content. Entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. All visitors ages 2 and older are required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces at the Zoo, regardless of their vaccination status.
Fully vaccinated visitors do not need to wear a mask in outdoor areas. Reptile Discovery Center. American alligator. Video of American Alligator. Animals Animals A-Z American alligator. Share this page:. During this time, they can be found in burrows or "dens" that they construct adjacent to an alligator hole or open water, but they occasionally emerge to bask in the sun during spells of warm weather.
The article at this link contains information about thermoregulation in Everglades alligators. The most recent evidence indicates that crocodilians which includes alligators and dinosaurs evolved from a common ancestor that existed subsequent to the common ancestor that they share with other reptiles. So, even though alligators are classified as reptiles along with lizards, snakes, and turtles, they are actually more closely related to birds, whose direct ancestors were dinosaurs!
While most reptiles have 3-chambered hearts, the heart of alligators, and all crocodilians, has 4 chambers, a trait shared with mammals and birds. The advantage of a 4-chambered heart is that oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood are separated, which results in more efficient respiration needed for the high metabolism of endothermic warm-blooded animals, and enables different pulmonary lung and systemic blood pressures, but is seemly over-complex for ectothermic cold-blooded crocodilians.
The single ventricle of the 3-chambered reptile heart allows some mixing of oxygenated blood with deoxygenated blood, which may help regulate their metabolic state.
Crocodilians have evolved a shunt between the left and right aorta immediately above the ventricles to facilitate the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. Crocodilians also have a valve in the pulmonary artery that, when closed, forces deoxygenated blood to recirculate through the left aorta, which increases mixing.
This increased mixing helps crocodilians transition to a lower metabolic state, and enables them to dive for extended periods. Some scientists have hypothesized that the complex heart structure of crocodilians might indicate that they evolved from endothermic warm-blooded ancestors.
The tell-tale eye-shine of an alligator and other nocturnal vertebrates is caused by a layer of cells called the tapetum lucidum a Latin phrase meaning "bright carpet". This structure is located beneath the photoreceptor cells rods and cones in the retina and reflects light back into these cells to increase the amount of light detected, which improves an alligator's vision in low light conditions. Female alligators construct elaborate nests of compacted vegetation with their mouths to incubate their eggs, and approximately eggs are laid.
Female gators are very protective of the nests and usually stay near by to ward off predators. Hatching occurs from mid-August through early September. State law prohibits the feeding of alligators and for good reason. Alligators fed by people overcome their natural shyness and are more likely to attack. Don't let pets swim in waters occupied by alligators and keep pets on leash at all times. Dogs and cats are similar in size to the natural prey of alligators. State law prohibits killing, harassing or possessing alligators.
Alligator Length vs. Recent Posts See All. Atchafalaya Christmas is back for a 4th year! Post not marked as liked.
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