Baby alligators on the banks of Telegraph Creek in Fort Myers Fl.

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is found only in the southeastern part of the United States with the highest populations found in Florida and Louisiana — a much smaller part of its former range, due in part to change in climate. Alligators can be found in a range of habitats, including marshland, swamps, rivers, lakes and ponds.

Alligators are often referred to as “cold-blooded” animals, a literal term, as they cannot automatically control their body temperatures. Being cold-blooded actually is a survival tactic because they don’t need to eat as much or as often as their warm-blooded counterparts.

These reptiles are covered with scales or other hard, protective plates. The crocodilian skull has two holes behind the eye socket that serve as attachment sites for muscle, enabling crocodilians to extend the muscles while exerting literally tons of pressure on their prey. Yet surprisingly, the jaw muscles are weak and can actually be held together with a thick rubber band, a fact that has been skillfully exploited by the Seminole and Miccosukee Indians during their alligator-wrestling shows.

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Wild Nature Photography & Writing
World Wildlife Photography
Beach Rivers and Lake Treasures
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