Florida Alligator Information

The American alligator is a large reptile found from North Carolina to Florida and across the Gulf States to western Texas. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission estimates that 1.25 million wild alligators live in Florida.

  1. Description

    • Adult alligators range from 6 to 14 feet in length and can weigh as much as 1,000 pounds. They have tough, armored hides, long tails and powerful jaws with 75 teeth.

    Habitat

    • Alligators prefer fresh-water lakes, slow-moving rivers, marshes and swamps. They spend most of their time in the water, coming ashore to nest and bask in the sun.

    Breeding

    • Females lay 35 eggs in a nest made of soil and vegetation. Less than half of the eggs will hatch. Up to 80 percent of baby alligators do not survive their first year.

    Diet

    • Juvenile alligators eat insects, small fish, amphibians and small invertebrates. Adults also eat turtles, larger fish, mammals and wading birds.

    Regulating Body Temperature

    • Like other reptiles, alligators use external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. They are most active in hot weather. In cool weather, they become dormant and stay in their burrows.

    Fun Facts

    • Florida alligators are no longer considered endangered animals.
      Upward-pointing nostrils on top of a long snout allow an alligator to breathe while the rest of its body is submerged.
      Wild alligators can live up to 50 years.
      Alligators constantly wear down and replace their teeth. An alligator may go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in its lifetime.