FLORIDA

American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
Alligator Family
6-12'. Stout, elongated; snout broad, rounded; head wide, flattened; eyes slightly raised on top of head; only downward-pointing teeth of upper jaws visible when jaws closed; legs shortish; claws heavy; tail square in cross section, vertically compressed toward tip; 6 raised ridges on back merge into 2 atop tail. Black to slate gray; throat and chest yellowish white. Young black with bold yellowish-white bands. During droughts, deepens a pool in marsh that benefits other aquatic life. Hibernates in muddy wallows in cooler months in n FL. Caution: Usually docile; dangerous if surprised or closely approached, esp. near nest. Voice Adult male: bellowing roar. Adult female: softer roar; pig-like grunts. Young: high-pitched yunk. Habitat Ponds, swamps, rivers, freshwater and brackish marshes, mangroves, canals; ocean (rare).

PHOTO: Jim Roetzel