American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis)

Alligator...or Alligator Mississippiensis!

The alligator was given the name "living fossil" because it has been around for over 200 million years, starting in the Mesozoic era. Scientists believe that one of the reasons that dinosaurs (and alligators) thrived during the Mesozoic era was due to their ability to survive and adapt to atmospheres with vastly different oxygen levels. Tests done on alligators show that they are able to adapt to both low and high oxygen levels within the atmosphere. It could be this ability that allowed the alligator to survive from the Mesozoic era while most other species became extinct.

 The difference between an alligator and a crocodile is that an alligator has it's teeth out of it's mouth, while a crocodile keeps it's teeth in. Another difference between an alligator and a crocodile is the shape of their snout. An alligator's snout is U-shaped, while a crocodile's snout is shaped like a V. An alligator is more apt to keep to itself if not bothered, while a crocodile is more apt to be aggressive.

 An alligator eats fish, birds, turtles, snakes, and amphibians. An alligator catches it's food by lying close to shore. When an animal comes up to drink, the alligator will move quickly to catch and drown it's prey. An adult alligator can be 4.4 meters in length, and weigh up to 800 pounds. Alligators live only in freshwater, while crocodiles can live in both freshwater and in saltwater.

Alligator mating season starts in early May and ends in early July. In early July the female lays about 50 eggs that will hatch within 65 days. Alligator babies are about 7-9 inches long and weigh about 1 milligram at birth. To this day, alligators can be found in the South Eastern United States.