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American alligator
The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to as a common alligator or simply gator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the genus Alligator, and is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator.
Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.5 m (11.2 to 14.8 ft) in length, and can weigh up to 500 kg (1,100 lb), with unverified sizes of up to 5.84 m (19.2 ft) and weights of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) making it the second longest and the heaviest of the family Alligatoridae, after the black caiman. Females are smaller, measuring 2.6 to 3 m (8.5 to 9.8 ft) in length. The American alligator inhabits subtropical and tropical freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps, from southern Texas to North Carolina. It is distinguished from the sympatric American crocodile by its broader snout, with overlapping jaws and darker coloration, and is less tolerant of saltwater but more tolerant of cooler climates than the American crocodile, which is found only in tropical and warm subtropical climates.
American alligators are apex predators and consume fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Hatchlings feed mostly on invertebrates. They play an important role as ecosystem engineers in wetland ecosystems through the creation of alligator holes, which provide both wet and dry habitats for other organisms. Throughout the year (in particular during the breeding season), American alligators bellow to declare territory, and locate suitable mates. Male American alligators use infrasound to attract females. Eggs are laid in a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves, and mud in a sheltered spot in or near the water. Young are born with yellow bands around their bodies and are protected by their mother for up to one year. This species displays parental care, which is rare for most reptiles. Mothers protect their eggs during the incubation period, and move the hatchlings to the water using their mouths.
The conservation status of the American alligator is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Historically, hunting had decimated their population, and the American alligator was listed as an endangered species by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Subsequent conservation efforts have allowed their numbers to increase and the species was removed from endangered status in 1987. The species is the official state reptile of three states: Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
The American alligator was first classified in 1801 by French zoologist François Marie Daudin as Crocodilus mississipiensis. In 1807, Georges Cuvier created the genus Alligator for it, based on the English common name alligator (derived from Spanish word el lagarto, "the lizard").
The American alligator and its closest living relative, the Chinese alligator, belong the subfamily Alligatorinae. Alligatorinae is the sister group to the caimans of Caimaninae, which together comprise the family Alligatoridae, which can be shown in the cladogram below:
Fossils identical to the existing American alligator are found throughout the Pleistocene, from 2.5 million to 11.7 thousand years ago. In 2016, a Late Miocene fossil skull of an alligator, dating to approximately seven or eight million years ago, was discovered in Marion County, Florida. Unlike the other extinct alligator species of the same genus, the fossil skull was virtually indistinguishable from that of the modern American alligator. This alligator and the American alligator are now considered to be sister taxa, suggesting that the A. mississippiensis lineage has existed in North America for seven to eight million years. However in 2020, a study reconsiders that American alligators Late Miocene record. With the older fossils being reassigned to Alligator mefferdi and Alligator hailensis. With American alligators evolving sometime during the Middle Pleistocene.
The alligator's full mitochondrial genome was sequenced in the 1990s, and it suggests the animal evolved at a rate similar to mammals and greater than birds and most cold-blooded vertebrates. However, the full genome, published in 2014, suggests that the alligator evolved much more slowly than mammals and birds.
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American alligator
The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to as a common alligator or simply gator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the genus Alligator, and is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator.
Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.5 m (11.2 to 14.8 ft) in length, and can weigh up to 500 kg (1,100 lb), with unverified sizes of up to 5.84 m (19.2 ft) and weights of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) making it the second longest and the heaviest of the family Alligatoridae, after the black caiman. Females are smaller, measuring 2.6 to 3 m (8.5 to 9.8 ft) in length. The American alligator inhabits subtropical and tropical freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps, from southern Texas to North Carolina. It is distinguished from the sympatric American crocodile by its broader snout, with overlapping jaws and darker coloration, and is less tolerant of saltwater but more tolerant of cooler climates than the American crocodile, which is found only in tropical and warm subtropical climates.
American alligators are apex predators and consume fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Hatchlings feed mostly on invertebrates. They play an important role as ecosystem engineers in wetland ecosystems through the creation of alligator holes, which provide both wet and dry habitats for other organisms. Throughout the year (in particular during the breeding season), American alligators bellow to declare territory, and locate suitable mates. Male American alligators use infrasound to attract females. Eggs are laid in a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves, and mud in a sheltered spot in or near the water. Young are born with yellow bands around their bodies and are protected by their mother for up to one year. This species displays parental care, which is rare for most reptiles. Mothers protect their eggs during the incubation period, and move the hatchlings to the water using their mouths.
The conservation status of the American alligator is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Historically, hunting had decimated their population, and the American alligator was listed as an endangered species by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Subsequent conservation efforts have allowed their numbers to increase and the species was removed from endangered status in 1987. The species is the official state reptile of three states: Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
The American alligator was first classified in 1801 by French zoologist François Marie Daudin as Crocodilus mississipiensis. In 1807, Georges Cuvier created the genus Alligator for it, based on the English common name alligator (derived from Spanish word el lagarto, "the lizard").
The American alligator and its closest living relative, the Chinese alligator, belong the subfamily Alligatorinae. Alligatorinae is the sister group to the caimans of Caimaninae, which together comprise the family Alligatoridae, which can be shown in the cladogram below:
Fossils identical to the existing American alligator are found throughout the Pleistocene, from 2.5 million to 11.7 thousand years ago. In 2016, a Late Miocene fossil skull of an alligator, dating to approximately seven or eight million years ago, was discovered in Marion County, Florida. Unlike the other extinct alligator species of the same genus, the fossil skull was virtually indistinguishable from that of the modern American alligator. This alligator and the American alligator are now considered to be sister taxa, suggesting that the A. mississippiensis lineage has existed in North America for seven to eight million years. However in 2020, a study reconsiders that American alligators Late Miocene record. With the older fossils being reassigned to Alligator mefferdi and Alligator hailensis. With American alligators evolving sometime during the Middle Pleistocene.
The alligator's full mitochondrial genome was sequenced in the 1990s, and it suggests the animal evolved at a rate similar to mammals and greater than birds and most cold-blooded vertebrates. However, the full genome, published in 2014, suggests that the alligator evolved much more slowly than mammals and birds.