The first alligator ancestors evolved some 245 million years ago. About 80 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, crocodilians appeared. This group includes alligatoroids, such as Brachychampsa, as well as their close relatives the crocodiles and caimans.[1]
How Does American Alligator Adapt To Its Environment?
Physical Adaptations:
Powerful tail used for swimming. Eyes and nostrils on the top of their head so they can remain submerged while breathing and keeping an eye out. A “third eyelid” called the nictitating membrane sweeps sideways across the eye to protect the eye during feeding and diving.[2]
Are Alligators Still Evolving?
New research shows these prehistoric-looking creatures have remained virtually untouched by major evolutionary change for at least 8 million years, and may be up to 6 million years older than previously thought.[3]
What Were Alligators Before They Evolved?
Today’s alligators, crocodiles and gharials—grouped together as crocodylians—shared a common ancestor back in the Cretaceous, around 95 million years ago.Oct 7, 2021[4]
What Is The Comparative Anatomy For The American Alligator
Comparative Anatomy and Histology Reveal the American Alligator …faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com › doi › abs › fasebj.2020.34.s1.00441[5]
Where Do Alligators Live In The Us?
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.[6]
What Do Alligators Look Like?
American alligators have black skin, rounded snouts and only top teeth visible when their mouths are closed. Compare the top image of an alligator with the crocodile below. The crocodile has a more pointed snout, greener skin and more visible top and bottom teeth.[7]
How Old Are Alligators?
The average lifespan of a wild American alligator is between 30-50 years with the Chinese alligator also averaging around 50 years in the wild.[8]
Are Alligators Nocturnal?
Miscellaneous: Alligators are diurnal and nocturnal, meaning they are active both day and night. They live in large holes called dens which provide protection, but they also are commonly seen basking during the spring and summer.[9]
What Is The Role Of The American Alligator In The Environment
Alligators play an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance. Sitting at the top of the food chain, alligators are apex predators and help keep other animal populations in balance. By digging holes and leaving trails throughout marshes, they create habitats for fish and marine invertebrates.Jun 28, 2016[10]
What Do American Alligators Do For The Environment?
Ecologically, alligators are important predators and create important habitat for other wildlife by digging holes that hold water during droughts. Range and habitat: Alligators occur on the Atlantic Coast of North America from Florida through coastal North Carolina, and along the Gulf Coast into Texas.[11]
What Is The Role Of The American Alligator As A Keystone Species?
Alligators are considered “keystone species”, a species that helps to fashion its environment and influence the types of species that live there. Alligators perform necessary services like providing fresh water for other wildlife to drink during droughts by digging “gator holes” that bring groundwater to the surface.[12]
Why Are Alligators Important To Humans?
Though many people find alligators terrifying, the wondrous reptiles help maintain a critical balance in our ecosystem. They feed rapaciously on invasive nutrias, which cause horrific damage to wetlands by denuding their vegetation, and they also tunnel deep depressions that provide reservoirs during droughts.[13]
Why Is The American Alligator Important To Florida?
As the top predator of the Everglades, says Rosenblatt, alligators have a large impact on the ecosystem through their interactions with and consumption of other animals. He notes that in addition to its importance to recreation and tourism, the Everglades are the primary drinking source for South Floridians.Jun 4, 2012[14]
When Did The American Alligator Become Endangered
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. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 prohibited alligator hunting, allowing the species to rebound in many areas where it had been depleted.[15]
When Did Alligators Come Off Endangered List?
In 1967, the species received federal protection as an endangered species that couldn’t be legally hunted. By 1987, the government removed the animal from the endangered species list. We also now have more people around. Florida is home to more than 20 million people and 1.3 million alligators.Jun 17, 2016[16]
Was The American Alligator Endangered?
Least ConcernAmerican alligators were once threatened by extinction, but after being placed on the endangered species list in 1967, their population increased. This species is now classified as least concern. The main threat to these reptiles today is habitat loss caused by wetland drainage and development.[17]
Is The American Alligator A Protected Species?
The American alligator first received protection under Federal law in 1967 when it was listed as endangered throughout its range under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 (32 FR 4001, March 11, 1967), a predecessor to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C.Jan 19, 2021[18]
How Does The American Alligator Adapt To It’S Enviroents
Physical Adaptations:
Powerful tail used for swimming. Eyes and nostrils on the top of their head so they can remain submerged while breathing and keeping an eye out. A “third eyelid” called the nictitating membrane sweeps sideways across the eye to protect the eye during feeding and diving.Sep 4, 2012[19]
How Do Alligators Adapt To Wetlands?
These plates are extremely thick and well adapted for their environment. Their skin camouflages very well with their environment and along with the bulging eyes this makes them look like a log! Alligators can have up to 80 teeth in their mouths at one time.[20]
What Environment Do American Alligators Live In?
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.[21]
How Do Alligators Adapt To The Everglades?
The American Alligator has adapted to life in freshwater wetlands. To adapt to survive dry seasons of the year it has to use its claws and tail to dig ‘gator holes’ that will fill up with ground water. They do this to create an aquatic oasis for themselves as well as birds and fish.[22]
What Is The Difference In The Armor Of The Chinese Alligator And The American Alligator
Chinese alligator – Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Chinese_alligator[23]
What Is The Difference Between Chinese Alligators And American Alligators?
Compared to its cousin the American alligator, the Chinese version is relatively small, with an average total length of about five feet in males and 4½ feet in females. The Chinese alligator has a more robust head than its American counterpart, and its snout is tapered and turns up slightly at the end.[24]
Are American Alligators Bigger Than Chinese Alligators?
Chinese alligators are much smaller than American alligators. An average female Chinese alligator is about 4 ½ feet long, while the male is about 5 feet long. American alligators are much longer; females average 8 feet long and the males are usually a little over 11 feet long.[25]
What Does A Chinese Alligator Look Like?
Dark gray or black in color with a fully armored body, the Chinese alligator grows to 1.5–2.1 metres (5–7 ft) in length and weighs 36–45 kilograms (80–100 lb) as an adult. It brumates in burrows in winter and is nocturnal in summer.[26]
How Did The American Alligator Recover?
Alligators live in the wetlands of the southern United States. The reptiles were hunted close to extinction. After they were listed under the Endangered Species Act, hunting was prohibited and their habitat was protected. The species has made a dramatic recovery and was removed from the endangered species list in 1987.[27]
How Were Alligators Brought Back From 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. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 prohibited alligator hunting, allowing the species to rebound in many areas where it had been depleted.[28]
Did American Alligators Almost Go 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[29]
What Would Happen If The American Alligator Was Removed?
If alligators are removed from their native ecosystem, it would affect countless other species. As an American alligator’s teeth wear down or fall out, new ones come in. An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.[30]
Resources
[1]https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/brachychampsa-montana
[2]http://cincinnatizoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/American-Alligator.pdf
[3]https://www.futurity.org/alligators-evolution-1250572-2/
[4]https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/modern-crocodiles-are-evolving-rapid-rate-180978432/
[5]https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.00441
[6]https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator
[7]https://www.livescience.com/27306-alligator-facts.html
[8]https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-old-is-the-worlds-oldest-alligator/
[9]https://herpsofnc.org/american-alligator/
[10]https://phys.org/news/2016-06-alligators.html
[11]https://srelherp.uga.edu/alligators/allmis.htm
[12]http://www.shipyardhhi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Alligator-tent-card.pdf
[13]https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/article/Gators-serve-a-purpose-in-our-environment-4279971.php
[14]https://www.esa.org/esablog/2012/06/04/the-american-alligator-and-its-importance-to-the-florida-everglades/
[15]https://www.captainjacksairboattours.com/7-are-alligators-endangered/
[16]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/06/17/we-saved-the-alligators-from-extinction-then-moved-into-their-territory/
[17]https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/American-Alligator
[18]https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/19/2021-01012/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-regulations-pertaining-to-the-american-alligator
[19]http://cincinnatizoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/American-Alligator.pdf
[20]http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2007/schreibe_bran/adaptations.htm
[21]https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator
[22]https://sites.google.com/a/westcta.ccsd.net/everglades-national-park-1/adaptions
[23]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_alligator
[24]https://www.stlzoo.org/animals/abouttheanimals/reptiles/alligatorsandcrocodiles/chinesealligator%23:~:text%3DCompared%2520to%2520its%2520cousin%2520the,up%2520slightly%2520at%2520the%2520end.
[25]https://study.com/academy/lesson/differences-between-chinese-american-alligators-lesson-for-kids.html%23:~:text%3DChinese%2520alligators%2520are%2520much%2520smaller,little%2520over%252011%2520feet%2520long.
[26]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_alligator%23:~:text%3DDark%2520gray%2520or%2520black%2520in,and%2520is%2520nocturnal%2520in%2520summer.
[27]https://www.endangered.org/animals/american-alligator/
[28]https://www.captainjacksairboattours.com/7-are-alligators-endangered/
[29]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/06/17/we-saved-the-alligators-from-extinction-then-moved-into-their-territory/
[30]https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/American-Alligator