Growth then slows slightly until age 10, when the alligator reaches approximately 8 feet in length. However, after 10 years, a female gator will have reached full size (9 feet), and a male alligator’s growth rate will slow considerably, growing less than an inch per year.Apr 2, 2019[1]
Where Are The American Alligator Found
The American alligator is found in the United States from North Carolina to the Rio Grande in Texas. Alligators are usually found in freshwater, slow-moving rivers. They also live in swamps, marshes and lakes. They can only tolerate salt water for brief periods because they do not have salt glands.[2]
What States Have American Alligators?
American alligators occur in Florida, southern Texas, Louisiana and parts of North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, with the alligator’s range appearing to inch northward in the last few years.[3]
Which State Has The Most American Alligators?
There are gators in every part of Louisiana. The state has one million wild alligators and another million on alligator farms. It has more alligators than any other state. It is also the only state where you can see rare white alligators, which are native to Louisiana.Sep 16, 2021[4]
Where Are Alligators Most Found?
Louisiana has the largest alligator population. The majority of American alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana, with over a million alligators in each state. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side. A small population is also found in Tamaulipas, in Mexico.[5]
Where Did The American Alligator Come From?
The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States.[6]
When Was The American Alligator Almost Extinct
The American alligator once neared extinction. By the 1950s, demand for hides and uncontrolled hunting in the southeastern United States had almost wiped out the species after a 200 million-year run on planet Earth.Jun 17, 2016[7]
Why Was The American Alligator Almost Extinct?
This large-scale hunting and poaching, along with loss of habitat, reduced the alligator population so dramatically that it was on the brink of extinction. In 1967, the alligator was listed as an endangered species, and was considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.[8]
How Many American Alligator Are Left?
An estimated 5 million American alligators are spread out across the southeastern United States. Roughly 1.25 million alligators live in the state of Florida. There are more than 1,000 American crocodiles, not including hatchlings, in Florida. Large male alligators are solitary, territorial animals.[9]
How Old Is An 11-Foot American Alligator Male
Alligator Length vs. Age – McGee’s Swamp Tourswww.mcgeesswamptours.com › post › alligator-length-vs-age[10]
How Old Is A 12Ft Alligator?
An alligator nearly 12 feet in size could be 40 years old. The death came as temperatures in north-central Florida began climbing and just ahead of mating season, when male alligators become far more active.[11]
How Old Is A 6 Ft Alligator?
Both males and females reach sexual maturity when they are about 6 feet (1.8 meters) long, a length attained at about 10 to 12 years.[12]
How Can You Tell How Old An American Alligator Is?
Scientists use the process of skeletochronology to tell the age of an alligator. It allows them to estimate the alligator’s age by examining the growth rate based on its bone structure.Dec 22, 2020[13]
How Long Does It Take For An Alligator To Grow 10 Feet?
Growth then slows slightly until age 10, when the alligator reaches approximately 8 feet in length. However, after 10 years, a female gator will have reached full size (9 feet), and a male alligator’s growth rate will slow considerably, growing less than an inch per year.Apr 2, 2019[14]
What Animals Eat An American Alligator
Raccoons are the primary predator, although hogs, otters, and bears have been reported to depredate nests. Juveniles: Small alligators are eaten by a variety of predators including raccoons, otters, wading birds, and fish; however, larger alligators may be their most significant predator.[15]
Does Anything Eat An American Alligator?
American alligators and their cousins, the caiman, and crocodiles are fierce hunters. But despite their size and strength, there are animals that do prey on them. Man appears to be their biggest predator. Big cats like leopards and panthers sometimes kill and eat these big reptiles.[16]
Do American Alligators Eat Other Alligators?
“Adult alligators are known to eat other (typically smaller) alligators.” The Department of Natural Resources also has this lovely definition of alligators, for your convenience: Alligators are carnivorous and prey on any animal that is available.[17]
Where Are Alligators In The Food Chain?
Alligators are apex predators. An apex predator is a term for animals that sit at the top of the food chain. They have few natural enemies. Because of this, they keep smaller animal populations in check.[18]
What Mammals Do American Alligators Eat?
Adult alligators may eat mammals such as raccoon or nutria (large aquatic rodents). To a large gator, any animal living in the water or coming to drink from the bank is potentially dinner. This can even include deer or wild boars. Once an alligator catches its prey, the chances of escape are slim.[19]
How Big Can An American Alligator Get In A Year
Alligators grow about a foot a year up to 6 feet and females rarely grow above 9 feet while males will grow to 10 feet and more.[20]
How Big Can An Alligator Grow In One Year?
As the image explains, using the red line graph to represent the length to age comparison, an alligator grows very quickly from birth through age 5, growing an incredible one foot per year. Growth then slows slightly until age 10, when the alligator reaches approximately 8 feet in length.Apr 2, 2019[21]
What Is The Largest American Alligator On Record?
The largest reported individual size was a male killed in 1890 on Marsh Island, Louisiana, and reportedly measured at 5.84 m (19 ft 2 in) in length, but no voucher specimen was available, since the American alligator was left on a muddy bank after having been measured due to having been too massive to relocate.[22]
How Big Is A Full Grown American Alligator?
Male alligators grow faster and larger than females. Females rarely exceed 9 feet in length and large females can weigh more than 200 pounds. Males rarely exceed 13 feet in length and large males can weigh well over 500 pounds.[23]
How Long Does It Take For An American Alligator To Grow?
Nearly all alligators become sexually mature by the time they reach approximately 7 feet in length although females can reach maturity at 6 feet. A female may require 10-15 years and a male 8-12 years to reach these lengths.[24]
How Large Does The American Alligator Get
American alligatorReptiles[25]
How Big Is A Full Grown American Alligator?
Male alligators grow faster and larger than females. Females rarely exceed 9 feet in length and large females can weigh more than 200 pounds. Males rarely exceed 13 feet in length and large males can weigh well over 500 pounds.[26]
How Big Was The Biggest American Alligator?
The largest reported individual size was a male killed in 1890 on Marsh Island, Louisiana, and reportedly measured at 5.84 m (19 ft 2 in) in length, but no voucher specimen was available, since the American alligator was left on a muddy bank after having been measured due to having been too massive to relocate.[27]
Is The American Alligator Bigger Than A Crocodile?
The average American crocodile grows anywhere from 10-20 feet long and weighs 300-2,000 pounds, while the American alligator grows 8-11 feet long and weighs 400-800 pounds, depending on age and gender. There are many key differences between American crocodiles vs American alligators.[28]
What Is The Largest Alligator Ever Recorded?
Largest Alligator Ever Recorded
Though it was never caught, the largest alligator ever to have been found and recorded was in 1890 in Marsh Island, Louisiana. This Marsh Island alligator, who measured 19.2 feet and weighed in at 2,000 pounds, was killed in Vermilion Bay in Southern Louisiana.[29]
What Is The Range Of The American Alligator Map
American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) – Species Profilenas.er.usgs.gov › queries › FactSheet[30]
Resources
[1]https://www.mcgeesswamptours.com/post/alligator-length-vs-age
[2]https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator
[3]https://defenders.org/wildlife/american-crocodile-and-alligator
[4]https://a-z-animals.com/blog/where-do-alligators-live-in-north-america/
[5]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator
[6]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator
[7]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/06/17/we-saved-the-alligators-from-extinction-then-moved-into-their-territory/
[8]https://www.captainjacksairboattours.com/7-are-alligators-endangered/
[9]https://defenders.org/wildlife/american-crocodile-and-alligator
[10]https://www.mcgeesswamptours.com/post/alligator-length-vs-age
[11]https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alligator-killed-viral-video-paddleboarder-florida/
[12]https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator
[13]https://study.com/academy/lesson/lifespan-of-an-alligator-lesson-for-kids.html
[14]https://www.mcgeesswamptours.com/post/alligator-length-vs-age
[15]https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/facts/
[16]https://swampfeverairboatadventures.com/do-alligators-have-predators/%23:~:text%3DAmerican%2520alligators%2520and%2520their%2520cousins,and%2520eat%2520these%2520big%2520reptiles.
[17]https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/state/south-carolina/article254764372.html%23:~:text%3D%25E2%2580%259CAdult%2520alligators%2520are%2520known%2520to,any%2520animal%2520that%2520is%2520available.
[18]https://kissagator.com/blog/benefits-of-alligators-to-the-florida-ecosystem/%23:~:text%3DAlligators%2520are%2520apex%2520predators.,smaller%2520animal%2520populations%2520in%2520check.
[19]https://www.captainjacksairboattours.com/5-what-alligators-eat/%23:~:text%3DAdult%2520alligators%2520may%2520eat%2520mammals,include%2520deer%2520or%2520wild%2520boars.%26text%3DOnce%2520an%2520alligator%2520catches%2520its,chances%2520of%2520escape%2520are%2520slim.
[20]https://www.louisianaalligators.com/alligator-biology-and-behavior.html
[21]https://www.mcgeesswamptours.com/post/alligator-length-vs-age
[22]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator
[23]https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/species/detail/american-alligator
[24]https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/facts/
[25]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator
[26]https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/species/detail/american-alligator
[27]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator
[28]https://a-z-animals.com/blog/american-crocodile-vs-american-alligator/
[29]https://centerforsurfresearch.org/biggest-alligator-in-the-world/
[30]https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx%3FspeciesID%3D221