These reptiles are usually found in slow-moving freshwater rivers, but also inhabit swamps, marshes, and lakes. American alligators are carnivores. They eat fish, invertebrates, frogs, birds, and mammals. They use their sharp teeth to capture prey, and their strong jaws are powerful enough to crack a turtle’s shell.[1]
Why Is An Alligator A Reptile?
Reptiles are turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators and crocodiles. Unlike amphibians, reptiles breathe only through their lungs and have dry, scaly skin that prevents them from drying out. Amphibians and reptiles are together called herpetofauna, or “herps” for short.[2]
Why Is The American Alligator Florida’S State Reptile?
In 1987 the Florida legislature designated the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) as the official state reptile. Long an unofficial symbol of the state, the alligator originally symbolized Florida’s extensive untamed wilderness and swamps.[3]
Is An Alligator A Reptile?
Some examples of reptiles are turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, and crocodiles. Amphibian An ectothermic vertebrate which lives a double life, metamorphosing from a larval stage to the adult stage. Frogs, toads, salamanders.[4]
What Type Of Animal Is An American Alligator?
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.[5]
Which Of The Following Does Not Describe The American Alligator? Quizlet
Chapter 4 Flashcards – Quizletquizlet.com › chapter-4-flash-cards[6]
How Many Deaths American Alligator
There were more than two dozen deaths out of 442 unprovoked attacks between 1948 and 2021, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In the last decade, these attacks have increased to around ten per year.Jul 18, 2022[7]
How Many People Are Killed By Alligators In Usa?
According to a comparison of animal-related fatalities from CDC WONDER database, venomous injuries, largely from contact with hornets, wasps, and bees accounted for an average of over 56 fatalities per year, compared to an average of about 1 fatality per year from alligator attacks in the United States (Forrester et al …[8]
How Many People Have Been Killed By Gators?
The chance of someone being attacked is one in 3.2 million. The worst years for fatalities were 2001 and 2006, with three people dying each of those years from Florida alligator attacks. And there have only been 23 fatalities between 1948 and 2016.[9]
How Many People Are Attacked By Alligators In Florida Every Year?
According to Inside Science, a science news publication, gator bites in Florida ‘have been on the rise, increasing from an average of just one every three years between 1988 and 1999 to about seven per year between 2000 and 2016.'[10]
Will Alligators Attack Humans?
Worldwide, alligators are responsible for less than 6% of fatal attacks by animals in the group called crocodilians (which includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials), according to the University of Florida. Around 4% of alligator attacks on humans in the U.S. have led to death.Sep 16, 2021[11]
What Started To Cause The American Alligator To Be Endagered
Dwindling populations of alligators were the result of hunting and loss of habitat, and the American alligator was listed as an endangered species in 1967 under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973.Oct 14, 2020[12]
Why Did The American Alligator Become Endangered?
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.[13]
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[14]
What Threatens The American Alligator?
The main threat facing the American alligator is the destruction and degradation of wetland habitat. Destruction of wetlands frequently occurs in association with human development.[15]
How Many Animals Are Dependent On American Alligator
American Alligator | National Wildlife Federationwww.nwf.org › Educational-Resources › Wildlife-Guide › Reptiles › Amer…[16]
How American Alligator Are Important To The Ecosystem?
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.[17]
What Animals Eat American Alligators?
Newly hatched alligators live in small groups, called ‘pods.’ Some 80 percent of young alligators fall victim to predators such as birds, raccoons, bobcats, otters, snakes, large bass and larger alligators.[18]
Are American Alligators 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.[19]
Is 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.[20]
What Is The Type Of Home Of An American Alligator
The American alligator inhabits subtropical and tropical freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps, from southern Texas to North Carolina.[21]
What Is The Home Of An Alligator?
Alligators are carnivorous and live along the edges of permanent bodies of water, such as lakes, swamps, and rivers. They commonly dig burrows in which they rest and avoid weather extremes.[22]
What Is A American Alligator Habitat?
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.[23]
Do Alligators Have Homes?
They create a “gator hole” along the waterway that provides protection during extreme weather conditions. They essentially dig tunnels in the mud where they sleep and when they come out of the gator hole, other animals come in and inhabit the area.[24]
Why Do American Alligators Live In Swamps?
They also need these freshwater areas to be deep and calm, where they can wait for prey and pull it under the water to drown it. In addition to using extensive stretches of water to feed, alligators will create their water holes in swamps.[25]
How Big Can An American Alligator Grow
American alligatorReptiles[26]
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.[27]
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.[28]
What Is The Biggest Size Alligator?
The largest alligator ever recorded anywhere was found in the late 1900’s on Marsh Island in Louisiana. This big guy measured an astounding 19 feet 2 inches, and had an estimated 2,200 pounds of body mass! The average American alligator weighs 200 pounds and measures 7 feet 6 inches long.[29]
Is There A 20 Foot Alligator?
A massive 20ft alligator was seen ‘eating’ a smaller love rival in front of shocked bystanders in Florida. The beast was spotted lifting its flailing prey into the air and walking off with it on a lawn in Lakeland, near Tampa, on March 8.[30]
Resources
[1]https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/American-Alligator
[2]https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/amphibian_conservation/faq.html
[3]https://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-reptile/
[4]https://www.cabq.gov/artsculture/biopark/documents/Reptiles%2520and%2520Amphibians%2520Teachers%2520Guide.pdf
[5]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator
[6]https://quizlet.com/438260535/chapter-4-flash-cards/
[7]https://en.as.com/latest_news/how-many-alligator-attacks-are-there-in-florida-each-year-n/
[8]https://crocdoc.ifas.ufl.edu/publications/factsheets/Alligator%2520Attack%2520Risk%2520Comparison%25202019.pdf
[9]https://www.enjuris.com/blog/fl/alligators-attacks/
[10]https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/crime/2018/09/08/alligator-attacks-are-on-rise-in-florida/10809191007/
[11]https://www.livescience.com/how-common-are-alligator-attacks
[12]https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/alligator.htm
[13]https://www.captainjacksairboattours.com/7-are-alligators-endangered/
[14]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/06/17/we-saved-the-alligators-from-extinction-then-moved-into-their-territory/
[15]https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/alligator/
[16]https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/American-Alligator
[17]https://phys.org/news/2016-06-alligators.html
[18]https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator
[19]https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/19/2021-01012/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-regulations-pertaining-to-the-american-alligator
[20]https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/American-Alligator
[21]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator
[22]https://www.britannica.com/animal/alligator
[23]https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator
[24]https://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/blog/where-do-alligators-sleep/
[25]https://northamericannature.com/where-do-american-alligators-live/
[26]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator
[27]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator%23:~:text%3DThe%2520largest%2520reported%2520individual%2520size,been%2520too%2520massive%2520to%2520relocate.
[28]https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/species/detail/american-alligator%23:~:text%3DMale%2520alligators%2520grow%2520faster%2520and,weigh%2520well%2520over%2520500%2520pounds.
[29]https://www.captainjacksairboattours.com/3-how-big-are-alligators/%23:~:text%3DThe%2520largest%2520alligator%2520ever%2520recorded%2520anywhere%2520was%2520found%2520in%2520the,7%2520feet%25206%2520inches%2520long.
[30]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10618459/Massive-20ft-alligator-caught-camera-eating-smaller-love-rival-Florida-lawn-VIDEO.html%23:~:text%3DA%2520massive%252020ft%2520alligator%2520was,near%2520Tampa%252C%2520on%2520March%25208.