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Animal profile

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

ReptiliaFreshwater swamps, marshes, rivers and lakes of the southeastern United StatesLeast Concern

Field profile

The American alligator is a broad-snouted crocodilian of the southeastern United States, with adult males commonly reaching three to four metres. Listed as endangered in 1967, it recovered enough to be delisted in 1987. It reshapes wetland habitat by excavating depressions that hold water through drought.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-07-24

American Alligator

Alligator holes carry wetland wildlife through drought

By clearing depressions in the marsh, alligators create pools that persist after the surrounding wetland dries. Fish, turtles, invertebrates and wading birds concentrate around them, which is why the alligator is treated as an ecosystem engineer rather than merely a large predator.

Read with evidence →

American Alligator | Daily Animal Facts